New York (AFP)

Boeing, already engulfed in the 737 MAX crisis, faces new challenges: larger than expected anomalies affecting the 777X could further delay the arrival of this long-haul in the global sky, said AFP sources close to the folder.

In September, during pressurization tests - knowingly exceeding normal conditions of use to ensure the reliability of equipment - it was learned that a door of the device had failed.

But several sources have told AFP in recent days, on condition of anonymity, that it is the entire structure supporting the door that has been taken away, during these tests supervised by inspectors of the federal agency of the Aviation (FAA).

"There was a structure near the emergency exit door that jumped during the test, which means that there was a defect in this structure," one of the sources told AFP, adding that wing of the aircraft had also been damaged in the incident.

"There was a depressurization in the aircraft's rear fuselage, the whole structure of the door jumped" and not just the door as reported the day after the incident, added another source.

The FAA has opened an investigation to determine what went wrong, told AFP a regulatory source, without specifying the impact on the certification of the 777X, which is already several months behind its commissioning schedule.

Boeing told AFP that the incident did not affect the date of the test flight, which is required for certification of the aircraft.

"What we have seen to date reinforces our initial assessment that (the incident) will not have a significant impact on both the design (of the aircraft) and the preparations for the first flight", stated the manufacturer on October 23rd.

The cause of the incident has not yet been determined, but industrial sources blame Boeing's robots at its Everett plant near Seattle for assembling the 777X fuselage. Boeing announced in mid-November that he would again entrust this task to humans.

- Modify the design -

"A door can not jump by itself unless something else has not worked," said another source familiar with the issue. "It means that we will have to review the design of the aircraft."

"Design changes are needed," confirmed a source familiar with Boeing's plans, saying the builder "already has the solution", which would be to strengthen the failed part of the rear fuselage.

These changes are expected to result in a delay of at least six months in the 777X commissioning schedule, of which nearly 340 have already been ordered by seven major airlines, including Emirates, Lufthansa, according to the first three sources. , Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.

It's a new blow for Boeing, which has already delayed the first flight of this long haul by several months, due to problems with the new GE9X engine, manufactured by General Electric, but also problems with the wings and software validation, according to industry sources.

The first deliveries, which were due to start in 2020, had also been postponed in October to "early 2021", but they could not finally intervene at the earliest until the summer of 2021, the sources estimate.

However, the manufacturer can make the changes while continuing its test program of this device that can carry 384 to 426 passengers.

- Derived or new plane? -

Lacking delays, the Emirates company decided last week to cancel the order of 30 Boeing 777X to take instead 30 Boeing 787, which is a shortfall of $ 3.5 billion at list price.

The 777X is supposed to reinforce Boeing's dominance of Airbus in the long haul, a position weakened by the upcoming reduction in production rates of the 787 "Dreamliner" due to a lack of firm orders from China against the background of a trade war with the United States.

Boeing can console itself with the fact that the FAA regards the 777X as a "derivative" of the 777, which means that only a few aircraft systems will need to be certified.

Two close accidents resulting in a total of 346 fatalities and involving the 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft, certified as a 737 NG derivative, raised fears that the 777X could be treated as a new aircraft, which would lengthen the procedure.

© 2019 AFP