GE9X engine shipments paused as GE addresses durability problem¶
The durability issue involved a crack found in a GE9X mid-seal.
Boeing confirms GE Aerospace has paused deliveries of the 777-9’s GE9X turbofans due to a previously disclosed durability problem, though the aircraft manufacturer expects deliveries will resume this quarter.
In January Boeingrevealed the issue, which GE later confirmed involved acracked “mid-seal”– a component that balances power between turbine stages.
Speaking during Boeing’s second-quarter earnings call on 28 July, Boeing chief financial officer Jay Malave addressed the “previously disclosed engine durability issue”.
“GE is finalising the modifications with the [Federal Aviation Administration] and remains confident in their root-cause analysis and solution,” he says. “They have already incorporated the change into their production system, and engine deliveries are expected to resume in the third quarter.”
It is unclear when GE had halted GE9X deliveries or how many shipments have been held up. Boeing declines to comment other than to say it is managing its production system for “increased rates”.
GE declines to address the deliveries pause but says it is “totally aligned with Boeing on the 777X programme”, adding, “We understand and reviewed root cause with [the] FAA and are working through modification certifications”.
But Boeing executives insist the GE9X issue should not disrupt their plan to achieve the 777-9’s certification in time to begin deliveries next year.
“We’ve currently completed more than 55% of the certification flight testing and expect our accelerated pace to continue progressing this summer,” Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said on 28 July. He adds that Boeing also anticipates beginning the 777-9’s extended-range twin operations (ETOPS) certification testing this year.
Ortberg also addressed an extensive rework programme Boeing has undertaken to bring some 30 early-build 777-9s up to the company’s most-recent design standard. Boeing calls that work “change incorp”, short for “incorporation”.
“There are some earlier change-incorp aircraft that clearly have more work to be done than others,” Ortberg says. “We’ll work with the customers… on aircraft [deliveries] and the configuration of those aircraft.”
FlightGlobal reported on 26 Julythat Emirates president Tim Clark has refused to receive early-built models owing to the modifications.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope on 19 July in London also addressed the rework, attributing it to “the maturity of the design process”.
The modifications will likely not require Boeing take another charge against the 777X programme, Pope added, noting previous charges accounted for the rework.
In the third quarter last year Boeing recorded a $4.9 billion charge against the 777-9 programme, citing an “updated assessment of the 777-9 certification timeline”.Subscribe to gain access to all newsAlready have a subscription?Log in.Choose your subscriptionConsidering a corporate subscription?Contact usto find out more.
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- Tags:
- Aerospace
- Air Transport
- Aircraft programmes
- Airframers
- North America
- United States
- 777-9
- 777X
- Boeing
- GE9X