Boeing Co began the maiden flight on Saturday of the world’s largest twin-engined jetliner as the embattled planemaker steps up competition with European rival Airbus in a respite from a crisis over its smaller 737 MAX.
The 777X, a larger and more efficient version of Boeing’s successful 777 mini-jumbo, took off outside Seattle at 10:09 a.m. local time after high winds forced the company to postpone two earlier attempts this week.
The 777X will compete with the recently introduced Airbus A350-1000 which seats about 360 passengers. Both reflect the growing range and efficiency of twin-engined jets that are steadily displacing their older four-engined counterparts