Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Boeing has stopped flight tests of its wide-body 777X after finding structure damage in one of its aircraft, officials said on Monday.
The airplane maker grounded four 777-9 airplanes in its test fleet after discovering the damage. During a scheduled maintenance, Boeing said it found the damage on one of the test planes, a custom part between the engine and the airplane structure.
"Our team is replacing the part and capturing any learnings from the component and will resume flight testing when ready," Boeing said, according to CNBC. The company said it has contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and its customers about the delay.
The 777X was not set for certification and delivery until next year, and it was not clear if the current grounded would delay that.
Boeing touts the 777X as the "world's largest and most efficient" twin-engine passenger airplane that will use 10% less fuel and emissions with 10% lower operational costs than competitors.
But customers had expected to start getting deliveries in 2020 and its testing still remains years behind schedule.
