The Boeing 777-9 completed its first test flight on January 25, landing at Boeing Field in Seattle at 2:01 p.m. local time after a three-hour, 52-minute mission over Washington state. Powered by a pair of General Electric GE9X turbofans, the big twin took off northbound at 10:09 a.m. from Boeing's Paine Field complex in Everett, Washington, marking the start of a flight test program now expected to lead to certification in 2021. The first flight came after a weather-related postponement on January 23 and an aborted mission on January 24, when gusting tailwinds prevented a northbound takeoff planned as part of the test flight itinerary. Winds on January 25 blew at less than 10 knots, well below the limit at which program managers might have needed to call off the flight for the third time.
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