by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:10 AM ET, Wed February 4, 2026
After a long delay, Boeing is reportedly planning its first flight of a production 777X aircraft in April, with the first delivery expected next year.
According to Reuters.com, the plane manufacturer is currently conducting fuel tests on the 777X ordered by Lufthansa at Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The aircraft will reportedly undergo engine tests later this month.
As part of Boeing’s quest to get the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify the plane, the company’s 777X test fleet has logged more flight hours than any other program. To receive the proper certification, though, the test must include a “production airplane configured as if ready for delivery.”
“In addition to the dedicated flight test fleet, some production airplanes will support testing that does not require flight-test unique equipment and instrumentation,” a Boeing spokesperson told Reuters.
Boeing’s 777X development has been a nightmare for the manufacturer, with the program being “six years behind schedule” and creating $15 billion in charges. Lufthansa ordered the plane that the company is testing in 2013.
While Boeing’s plan to deliver the first 777X next year remains unchanged, the airplane manufacturer’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, revealed last week that there is a “potential new issue with the 777X’s engines made by GE Aerospace.”
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