The GE9X Timeline: From Conceptualization To Expected Delivery
July 19, 2021
Credit: Boeing
February 2012: General Electric announced studies of a more efficient derivative of the GE90 to power Boeing’s conceptual long-haul, higher-capacity 777X twinjet.
Credit: Boeing
March 2013: Boeing selected the GE9X as sole-source engine for the -777-8X/9X.
Credit: GE Aviation
March 2016: First Engine to Test (FETT).
Credit: GE Aviation
July 2016: GE Aviation finalized agreements with IHI Corporation, Safran Aircraft Engines and Safran Aero Boosters as participants in the GE9X engine program.
Credit: GE Aviation
October 2016: GE completed the second phase of GE9X CMC (ceramic matrix composite) component testing in a GEnx demonstrator engine, accumulating 1,800 cycles while exposing the engine to harsh environmental conditions of dust and debris.
Credit: GE Aviation
May 2017: GE9X certification program began.
Credit: GE Aviation
November 2017: The engine reached a record thrust of 134,300 lb (597 kN) in Peebles, Ohio, a new Guinness World Record breaking the 127,900 lbf (569 kN) record set by the GE90-115 in 2002.
Credit: GE Aviation
March 2018: GE9X turbofan flew for the first time under wing of GE Aviation’s Boeing 747 flying test bed in Victorville, California.
Credit: GE Aviation
October 2019: GE Aviation delivered the first flight-compliant GE9X engine to Boeing for the 777X.
Credit: Boeing
January 2020: GE9X-powered 777X made its first flight, the first 777-9 flying for 3 hr. 52 min.
Credit: Boeing
September 2020: FAA certifies the GE9X turbofan for the 777-8/9.
Credit: Boeing
Late 2023: First 777-9 airline delivery expected.
It has been almost a decade since General Electric announced studies of a more efficient derivative of the GE90. From conceptualization to expected delivery, take a look at some of the significant milestones in the development of the GE9X engine.
