According to a report by CCTV News, on August 19, the Boeing Company in the United States discovered structural cracks during the first test flight of its 777X aircraft. It is reported that the Boeing 777X third test aircraft (WH003) took off from Kona Airport in Hawaii on local time August 16, and after completing a flight of 5 hours and 31 minutes, it underwent routine inspection. However, the inspection revealed that the aircraft's thrust link rod had broken. Further inspections of two other test aircraft also found similar issues.

Boeing stated that it has informed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and customers of the malfunction and suspended the test flight plan. The company said in a statement: "We identified a part that did not perform as designed. Our team is replacing the part, recording any lessons learned, and will resume flight testing when ready."

So far, Boeing has not disclosed how long the suspension of test flights is expected to last, nor has it revealed whether the first delivery of this model will be delayed.

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Professor Shen Haijun, head of the Institute of Aircraft Engineering at Tongji University's Department of Aeronautics and Mechanics, said in an interview with First Financial Daily: "It is normal for various issues to arise during the airworthiness certification process of a new aircraft—unless there are significant design or technical flaws. This stage is a continuous process of flight testing and making improvements on the go."

He also said: "On one hand, the airworthiness certification period for this model will be extended, and the delivery time will also be postponed. There may be a need to pay liquidated damages to customers according to contract terms. On the other hand, the delayed delivery will also affect Boeing's reputation, as well as the confidence in the development technology within the company and externally (such as the FAA)."

On the 20th, Boeing's stock price fell by 4.2%, closing at $172.1 per share. This year, the company's stock price has already dropped by more than 30%.

In fact, since 2019, Boeing has not been profitable. In the second quarter of this year, Boeing suffered a loss of $1.4 billion, which is almost ten times the loss of $149 million in the same period last year; Boeing's aircraft delivery volume in the second quarter was 92, also a significant drop of 32% compared to the same period last year.

The highly anticipated 777X

Boeing has high hopes for the 777X, calling it "the world's largest and most efficient twin-engine passenger aircraft," designed specifically for long-haul international flights, with larger windows allowing every seat to have a view of the outside. More importantly, this model will reduce fuel consumption and emissions by 10% compared to competitors, as well as 10% in operating costs.However, since the launch of the 777X project in 2013, it has been plagued by delays and cost overruns.

In January 2020, the 777X aircraft finally achieved its first successful test flight. Boeing refers to the 777X as the development code, and the future official name of the passenger aircraft is the Boeing 777-9, which is expected to begin delivery next year. The series also includes the smaller but longer-range 777-8 aircraft and cargo planes.

According to Boeing's website, as of the end of June, the Boeing 777X has received 540 orders, including customers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Lufthansa.

However, Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, indicated earlier this year: "The 777X (delivery) may be delayed until the end of next year, or even 2026." He also stated that Boeing needs to make changes. Last month, Emirates expressed in a statement that its expansion plans have been "severely affected" due to the continued postponement of aircraft deliveries by Boeing.

Test flight issues are also believed to potentially impact Boeing's delivery expectations.

Ken Herbert, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, told clients in a report on Monday: "The grounding could push the 777X delivery expectations to 2026 and may face an extended approval period."

Shen Haijun explained, "If it were a minor variant of the aircraft, it might take less than a year to obtain airworthiness certification, but for a completely new model like the 777X, it would take at least 1-2 years at the fastest."

Just early last month, the company's former CEO, Dave Calhoun, stated in a conference call with investors and analysts that by the end of July, the 777-9 test fleet had conducted over 1,200 flights in a wide range of regions and climate conditions, accumulating 3,500 flight hours. At that time, Boeing stated that it would maintain the expectation of the first delivery in 2025.

"Even if flight testing resumes in the short term, the current grounding may limit investor confidence in the project," Herbert said.

"Delivery challenges"Boeing's main competitor, Airbus, has also reduced its delivery targets for this year. In June, the company stated that due to shortages of engine parts, structural components, cabin interiors, and other parts, it expects to deliver only 770 aircraft this year, 30 less than planned.

Airbus had planned to achieve a monthly production rate of 75 of its best-selling A320neo model by 2026. However, the company recently indicated that it would postpone this plan by one year. Currently, the monthly production of the A320neo stands at 50 units.

It has been reported that Airbus has recently informed airlines that some aircraft originally scheduled for delivery over the next two years may also be delayed.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury stated during the second-quarter investor call that the company's operating environment "has actually deteriorated recently, mainly due to geopolitical tensions and specific supply chain challenges."

In response, Shen Haijun said that both Boeing and Airbus, including the C919, adopt a supplier system, where key components are manufactured in-house, while engines, landing gear systems, and flight control systems are procured from other companies for assembly.

"Boeing's delivery difficulties are mainly due to technical faults or defects in the aircraft designed and developed by itself, while Airbus's delayed deliveries are more of a supplier issue," he said.

Boeing's problems do not end there.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) stated on Monday (19th) that it will require an investigation into Boeing. This comes after a 787 Dreamliner suddenly dived in mid-air in March this year, resulting in injuries to more than 50 passengers.

The FAA indicated that the apparent cause of the dive was the accidental movement of the captain's seat, which led to the disconnection of the autopilot. The agency has reported receiving five instances of similar issues with the captain and co-pilot seats on 787 aircraft, with the most recent one in June, and two others still under investigation.