Everett (United States) (AFP)
Boeing was more optimistic on Saturday on the inaugural flight of its long-haul 777X, after having to postpone it already Thursday and Friday because of the weather.
"The weather looks good today and therefore the 777X could fly earlier," the aircraft manufacturer tweeted, while explaining that the test flights met imperatives which made any prediction random.
"The first flights are dynamic, we could fly sooner or later but we will keep you informed of progress," said Boeing, who initially planned to make a new takeoff attempt at 10:00 local time (18:00 GMT) .
The new twin-engine in its blue and white livery is to take off from Everett, about fifty kilometers north of Seattle, in the northwest of the United States, where the weather is generally capricious this season.
This inaugural flight will mark the start of a whole battery of flight tests. It is because of the experimental aspect that the weather plays such an important role, while other planes can fly without problem from this airport.
If the test flights go well, Boeing will then file all documents for the approval of this aircraft by the civil aviation authorities, in particular with the American civil aviation authority, the FAA.
The 777X, which can carry 384 to 426 passengers, has an order book of 340 units, mainly from seven major airlines, including Emirates, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways. It is supposed to compete with the A350 of the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
© 2020 AFP