Boeing Sending Its 1st Production 777-9 Toward The North Pole In 11-Hour Flight Test

Boeing Sending Its 1st Production 777-9 Toward The North Pole In 11-Hour Flight Test describes a long-duration validation flight planned for Boeing’s first production-standard 777-9. The aircraft, registered N20080 and designated WH128, will depart from Snohomish County Airport (PAE) with a route extending up to 85°N, about 300 nautical miles from the geographic North Pole, according to the report. The test flight is expected to last 11 hours and 14 minutes and is aimed at one of the most extensive profiles yet for a production-standard airplane in the 777X program. Boeing says N20080 was built in airline configuration for Lufthansa, after completing its first flight, and it is now supporting certification and validation work. The article notes that operating near the poles changes navigation, communications, and route planning, because magnetic references become less useful. It adds that Boeing’s wider 777-9 test fleet has accumulated more than 4,700 flight-test hours, with over 620 orders secured for the 777X family.