Boeing 777X First Flight Delayed By Weather

Boeing was forced to postpone the first flight of their 777X aircraft from Paine Field near Seattle, 24 January 2020, due to strong unfavorable winds at the airport.

A requirement to depart North from the field to avoid overflight of congested areas meant the relentless gusty winds, coming predominantly from the South, produced an unsafe tailwind component outside of the aircraft's allowable envelope.

The test aircraft is a Boeing 777-9, the larger of two models in the 777X family. The other is the 777-8.

Both models feature the type's distinctive folding wingtip design and are powered by the GE Aviation GE9X high-bypass turbofan jet engines.