WASHINGTON- Boeing has redesigned the engine thrust links for its long-delayed 777X widebody aircraft, addressing fatigue issues that caused a 4-month certification testing delay.
Aviation Week reports the American manufacturer plans to install the redesigned components later this summer as part of broader design improvements.
Boeing 777X Redesigns Thrust Links
Boeing originally planned 777X certification for 2020, positioning the aircraft as the next generation of the popular 777 widebody series.
The manufacturer designed the 777X family to deliver improvements in efficiency, range, and passenger comfort compared to existing widebody aircraft.
The certification process began with extensive flight testing using 4 dedicated test aircraft configured to validate the new design’s performance and safety characteristics.
However, the certification timeline faced immediate challenges when technical issues emerged during the testing phase. Boeing encountered the first major setback in 2020 when an “uncommanded pitch event” caused the aircraft’s nose to rise unexpectedly without pilot input.
This incident resulted in years of certification delays as engineers worked to resolve the flight control system anomaly and implement necessary safety modifications.
August 2024 Thrust Link Failures
The most recent significant delay occurred in August 2024 when Boeing discovered broken thrust links on one of the test aircraft during routine inspections.
Further examination revealed similar cracks in the same load-bearing components on other planes in the test fleet. These thrust link failures prompted Boeing to temporarily ground all 4 777X test aircraft, halting the certification process completely.
The thrust links transfer loads between the engine and wing structure, with the original components experiencing cracks that grounded all 4 test aircraft in the 777X program. Boeing resumed certification flights in mid-January 2025 after temporarily halting operations in August 2024 following the discovery of broken thrust links.
Boeing engineers determined that fatigue issues in the original thrust link design caused the failures, necessitating a complete redesign of these essential load-bearing elements. The grounding lasted four months while Boeing developed and tested the improved thrust link design.
Design Improvements
The manufacturer resumed certification flights in mid-January 2025 after installing temporary solutions and conducting extensive ground testing of the new thrust link configuration. Aviation Week confirmed that Boeing now plans to install the final redesigned thrust links during summer 2025 as part of a broader package of design improvements.
Boeing currently aims to achieve 777X certification by late 2025 or early 2026, with first deliveries expected in 2026. The certification process requires approval from both the FAA and the EASA before commercial operations can begin.
Lufthansa (LH) is expected to become the first airline worldwide to receive the 777X once certification is completed, according to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Emirates (EK) expects to receive its Boeing 777X aircraft by the end of 2026, despite expressing earlier doubts about meeting this timeline.
Emirates Chairman and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum confirmed this expectation during a media roundtable at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The airline currently awaits 205 Boeing 777X deliveries, making it the world’s largest customer for the aircraft type.
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