777X - The White Elephant in the room

Let’s not make any bones about it, Boeing has had a rough 2019, and their year from hell just seems to be getting worse. The 777X, successor to the much exalted 777-300/200 series is facing roadblock after roadblock. The legendary GE90 powered the older generation of the 777 series while the GE 9X will power the 777X. The GE9X will be the largest turbofan engine ever built, by far. Issues have cropped up with the engine’s durability due to high exhaust temperatures. Certification is turning into a nightmare for GE, in turn affecting Boeing. Most recently, one of their cargo doors exploded outwards during the final phases of load testing. In this test, the wings are made to flex much much more than it would ever flex during a routine commercial flight. While the plane withstood all the forces and depressurisation, the cargo door gave way in the last minute, thus putting another spoke in the wheel. While this is not a very major issue, it is definitely a setback for Boeing and will lead to an eventual delay in certification as well. While the development costs of the 777X are turning out to be much higher than anticipated, Boeing would not be too perturbed for now at least. This is due to the large number of orders that the 777X has secured.

THE FOLDING WINGTIP OF EMIRATES' 777X 

GE has redesigned the entire compressor of the GE9X engine in their endeavour to make the stator vanes more durable and robust. Amidst all this hubub, the launch customer of the 777X - Emirates is not very happy with the developments. They are even mulling a reduction of their order. Emirates is one their largest and most valued customers. On the other hand, they could lose out to Airbus in the much anticipated ‘Project Sunrise’ contest by Qantas. Boeing said that they would offer the 777-9X to Qantas, but that can happen only if they get it certified in time. To add insult to Boeing’s injury, the A350 series has been doing phenomenally well, stealing passengers’ hearts and Boeing’s customers across the world.

THE GE9X ON THE 747-400 TEST BED

Is the 777X program facing far too much scrutiny due to the 737MAX problems? It could well be the case. Alarmist and sensationalist reportage by publications and newschannels are just adding fuel to the fire. WSJ ran an elaborate report on how Boeing is developing a culture of cutting corners. Bloomberg went so far that they blamed the MCAS malfunctions on Indian companies, to whom part of the work was outsourced. Boeing’s Charleston factory is already infamous for its shoddy work, with some of their customers refusing to take planes that are built at the facility. All this brings one thing into focus - Trust. Surely, the trust that Boeing used to enjoy with customers and passengers is eroding. A problem like this could threaten the very existence of the company in the long run. All we can hope for is that Boeing will recover from this setback and bring back the glorious days of spirited competition between aircraft manufacturers, which will in turn benefit airlines and passengers.