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Boeing's new 777X airliner takes off on first flight
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Boeing employees and guests welcome a Boeing 777X airplane returning from its inaugural flight at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington on January 25, 2020. (AFP/Jason Redmond)
B
oeing’s new 777x jetliner - the world’s largest twin-engined plane - took off Saturday for it’s very first flight.
It’s a larger and more efficient version of Boeing’s successful 777 mini-jumbo.
The plane took off outside of Seattle, after high winds forced the company to postpone two earlier attempts this week.
Boeing officials said the maiden voyage would last 3 to 5 hours… representing months of testing and certification before the aircraft enters service with Emirates in 2021.
Read also: The Boeing 737 MAX saga: A question of trust
…That’s a year later than originally scheduled because of snags during development.
The jetliner’s features include folding wingtips - designed to allow its large new carbon-composite wings to fit into the same parking bays as earlier models... and the world’s largest commercial engines, built by General Electric.
The 777X will compete with the recently introduced Airbus A350-1000 which seats about 360 passengers.
The flight is a boost for Boeing as it grapples with a broadening crisis over the 737 MAX, which has been grounded since March following two fatal crashes.
