Boeing’s deputy chief pilot for the 777X programme, Heather Ross, is relishing the opportunity to show off the aircraft having flown its longest and first international flight for its air show debut in Dubai.
The manufacturer has flown a 777-9 from its flight test programme to be on the static park at the show. The 15h flight marked its longest mission so far.
”It was a really good flight,” says Ross. ”We’ve been focusing so much on getting the test programme done and flying domestically in the US to different locations to accomplish that testing, to be able to bring it here is kind of an opportunity to show off the airplane.
“It is the real positive of the hard work you have done. Its’ great to be able to show it off.”
Boeing’s four-aircraft 777X test fleet has now accumulated 1,700h across 600 flights and Ihssane Mounir, senior vice-president for commercial sales and marketing, said on the eve of the show that the manufacturer is on course to hand over the initial example in late 2023.
