GE Aerospace says GE9X seal issue will not delay Boeing 777X service entry

GE Aerospace does not expect durability problems found in the GE9X engine's mid-seal to affect the Boeing 777X schedule, according to comments made by the company's chief financial officer, Rahul Ghai, at a conference organised by Morgan Stanley.

Ghai said he was confident the issue would not delay the commercial debut of Boeing's new widebody twinjet. GE Aerospace disclosed in February that it was assessing a durability problem linked to a seal in the GE9X. In April, the manufacturer said it had identified the root cause, was completing a fix and did not anticipate changes to the programme's timetable.

Testing showed the mid-seal, a part that connects the front and rear sections of the engine, did not meet the durability levels the company had originally expected. GE Aerospace redesigned the component and began delivering GE9X engines fitted with the new part to Boeing in the third quarter. The manufacturer said it has a high degree of confidence in the redesigned component after internal testing, and that it is already being fitted to engines on the production line.

Certification of the redesigned part by the Federal Aviation Administration is expected within the coming months, and the approval process is being handled through two parallel regulatory tracks. Flight testing continues alongside that work, according to the account given at the conference.