Boeing redesigns engine thrust links amid ongoing delays

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Boeing redesigns engine thrust links amid ongoing delays

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Boeing 777X | .Official Website

By Sky Industry News

May 26, 2025

Boeing has redesigned the engine thrust links for its 777X aircraft, a move aimed at addressing previous fatigue issues in the load-bearing components. The redesign comes after a four-month delay in certification testing due to these problems. Boeing plans to install the new thrust links later this summer.

In August 2024, Boeing grounded its 777X test fleet after discovering broken thrust links on one of the test planes. Similar cracks were found on other aircraft, halting all four test planes in the program. The company resumed certification flights in January 2025 and now plans broader design improvements for the 777X.

Originally slated for certification in 2020, the Boeing 777X has faced several delays due to technical challenges during testing. A significant setback occurred in 2020 with an "uncommanded pitch event," causing unexpected nose rise without pilot input. Further delays followed due to thrust link failures discovered during flight testing and a labor strike.

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Boeing aims for certification by late 2025 or early 2026, with first deliveries expected in 2026. Emirates expects delivery of its long-awaited Boeing 777X by the end of that year, according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates.

Despite earlier doubts about receiving the aircraft by 2026, Emirates remains committed as it awaits delivery of 205 Boeing 777Xs, making it the largest customer for this model. Other airlines awaiting delivery include Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways.

Lufthansa is expected to be the first airline worldwide to receive the Boeing 777X once certified by both US and European aviation authorities. The airline has ordered a mix of passenger and freighter variants from the Boeing 777X family.

As of May 2025, Boeing secured several orders for its widebody aircraft. Notably, Gulf countries placed significant orders during a visit by US President Donald Trump with Boeing's CEO accompanying him. Qatar Airways ordered a mix of widebodies including thirty-seven seventy-nine jets while Etihad Airways signed up for various models without specifying quantities per type.

China Airlines also announced an order for twenty-three Boeing seven seventy-seven Xs becoming East Asia's newest customer with options for additional purchases.