Fifth-Ever 777-9 Completes Maiden Flight at Paine Field

Boeing’s 777-9 widebody, one of two 777X variants, has faced countless delays since its introduction in 2013. Though the program has been airborne since 2020, only four aircraft had made it out of the factory and into the sky… until now.

This fifth aircraft in the long-delayed 777-9 program took off on August 5 with a clean white fuselage, unfolded wingtips, and a crowd of Boeing employees and enthusiasts snapping pictures from the Future of Flight balcony.

It’s a rare milestone for a program that’s been anything but fast-tracked. Since the prototype first flew in 2020, four test aircraft have logged around 4,000 hours across 1,400 flights.

This latest addition, dubbed WH286, is the first production-configured 777-9 to join the fleet. No test wiring, no sensor racks, no passenger cabin either. It’s here to check system reliability and, eventually, whether it can handle a lightning bolt to the wing.

The jetliner’s first flight lasted 2 hours and 27 minutes, hitting Mach 0.84 and cruising to 39,000 feet before returning from Moses Lake to Everett. Chief 777-9 pilot Ted Grady, who also flew the second aircraft’s first flight, called it “seamless.” As he put it, “You could tell the team had the airplane in excellent condition.”

Since its maiden flight, the 777X program has suffered delays tied to updated FAA certification requirements, the fallout from the 737 MAX crashes, pandemic disruptions, engine issues, and structural cracks. In 2024 alone, a thrust link failure grounded the test fleet. Flight testing only resumed in January 2025.

First delivery to Lufthansa is now promised for 2026 (pushed back 6 years from Boeing’s original delivery date), but even that’s a moving target. Emirates, another launch customer, remains publicly skeptical. Boeing, meanwhile, insists there are “no new technical issues”... only time will tell.

Until then, the newest 777-9 will continue with local tests before heading to Arizona for electromagnetic and lightning-strike testing. It’s not quite ready to carry passengers—but at least it’s airborne.

FMI: www.boeing.com