The Cessna SkyCourier has reached a new milestone with the recent delivery of the first aircraft into the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The 19โpassenger variant delivered to AIR Marshall Islands Inc. (AMI) is equipped with the optional passengerโtoโfreighter conversion kit, enabling the aircraft to transition between full passenger and full cargo configurations. The delivery marks a significant milestone in strengthening essential air service across the country.
With communities comprised of widely dispersed islands, regional air service plays an important role in supporting commerce, travel and vital freight transport in the region. The SkyCourier’s flexible cabin configurations and strong runway performance will help AMI streamline inter-island services.
Based in the capital, Majuro, AIR Marshall Islands is a commercially operated airline owned by the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. With an additional SkyCourier expected to deliver this year, AMI selected the aircraft to enhance connectivity and expand services throughout the nationโs atolls and outer islands.
JetBlue Airways on May 15, 2026 began scheduled flying on โBlueprint II,โ a reimagined take on one of the airlineโs most beloved special liveries, now featured on a brand-new Airbus A220-300.
The pictured N3308J is JetBlueโs eighth A220โ300 delivered from Airbusโs Mirabel facility in Quรฉbec.
First introduced in 2017 on an Embraer E190, the original Blueprint livery became an instant standout across JetBlueโs fleet for its imaginative โsee-throughโ design, which blended illustrations of everyday travel items with the aircraftโs mechanical structure. Inspired by stories from crewmembers and customers alike, the design featured everything from slices of pizza to potted plants, capturing the joy, personality and memorable moments that define travel in a distinctly JetBlue way. Retired in 2024 as part of JetBlueโs broader fleet transition, the livery remained a favorite among customers, crewmembers and aviation enthusiasts.
Now reimagined for the Airbus A220, Blueprint II builds on the original concept with bolder visuals, greater detail and new hidden touches throughout the aircraft. The updated design includes a collection of icons that celebrate JetBlueโs network, heritage and spirit of exploration, including:
The fan-favorite oversized teddy bear, now seated in its own passenger seat
A crown honoring JetBlueโs first European destination, London
A sextant in the flight deck recognizing the history of navigation
Fins, a mask and snorkel, and a swimming pool float nodding to the warm-weather vacation destinations at the heart of JetBlueโs network.
Blueprint II also includes dozens of additional โEaster eggsโ hidden throughout the livery, giving customers and plane spotters new details to discover with every glance.
With the retirement of its Embraer E190 fleet on September 9, 2025, JetBlue completed its transition to an all-Airbus fleet, anchored by next-generation A220 and A320 aircraft. Blueprint II continues JetBlueโs award-winning tradition of using aircraft design as an extension of the brand, creating liveries that spark curiosity, invite discovery and connect with customers in unexpected ways.
The matchups are set and American is ready for the season with a full slate of routes for fans to get straight to the end zone. This year, the airline will add a record-breaking 23,000 additional seats for fans, building on its already robust fall schedule offering more seats than any other airline in the U.S.
For fans who never miss a kickoff, Americanโs flight schedules will be available for booking early next week on aa.com or through Americanโs mobile app.
By the numbers: Americanโs fall football schedule
American is adding more than 23,000 seats, thatโs enough to fill the rosters of more thanย 430 professional football teams.
This season, American is offering fan flights spanning more than 293 million yards, the equivalent of more thanย 3 million football fields.
Americanโs fall schedule includes more thanย 4,500 peak daily flightsย from hometown airports of professional football teams.
Getting fans in position
The roar of the stadium awaits fans, and Americanโs convenient flights are designed to give travelers the perfect weekend trip connecting hometowns to stadium towns. Joining Americanโs already expansive schedule, nearly 10,000 additional seats will be available on 28 routes for fans across the upcoming season.
2026 fall matchups
Flight information
Detroit at Buffalo
DTW to BUF on Sept. 17 BUF to DTW on Sept. 18
Philadelphia at Tennessee
Additional seats from PHL to Nashville, Tennessee (BNA), on Sept. 19 and BNA to PHL on Sept. 21
Tennessee at New York
Additional seats from BNA to LGA on Sept. 26 and LGA to BNA on Sept. 28
Philadelphia at Chicago
Additional seats from PHL to ORD on Sept. 28 and ORD to PHL on Sept. 29
Tennessee at Baltimore
BNA to BWI on Oct. 3 BWI to BNA on Oct. 5
Seattle at Denver
SEA to DEN on Oct. 15 DEN to SEA on Oct. 16
Buffalo at Las Vegas
BUF to LAS on Oct. 16 LAS to BUF on Oct. 19
Dallas at Green Bay
DFW to GRB on Oct. 17 GRB to DFW on Oct. 19 Additional seats from DFW to Appleton, Wisconsin (ATW), on Oct. 17 and ATW to DFW on Oct. 19
Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay
PIT to TPA on Oct. 17 TPA to PIT on Oct. 19
New England at Chicago
Additional seats from Boston (BOS) to ORD on Oct. 22 and ORD to BOS on Oct. 23
Carolina at Green Bay
Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT), to GRB on Oct. 29 GRB to CLT on Oct. 30 Additional seats from CLT to ATW on Oct. 29 and ATW to CLT on Oct. 30
Kansas City at Denver
MCI to DEN on Oct. 31 DEN to MCI on Nov. 2
Green Bay at New England
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (MKE), to BOS on Nov. 7 BOS to MKE on Nov. 9
Seattle at Las Vegas
SEA to LAS on Nov. 14 LAS to SEA on Nov. 16
New Orleans at Chicago
Additional seats from MSY to ORD on Nov. 21 and ORD to MSY on Nov. 23
Tennessee at Dallas
Additional seats from BNA to DFW on Nov. 21 and DFW to BNA on Nov. 23
Buffalo at Green Bay
BUF to GRB on Dec. 12 GRB to BUF on Dec. 14
Indianapolis at Philadelphia
Additional seats from IND to PHL on Dec. 12 and PHL to IND on Dec. 14
Chicago at Buffalo
Additional seats from ORD to BUF on Dec. 18 and BUF to ORD on Dec. 20
New England at Kansas City
BOS to MCI on Dec. 21 MCI to BOS on Dec. 22
Houston at Philadelphia
Additional seats from IAH to PHL on Dec. 24 and PHL to IAH on Dec. 25
San Francisco at Kansas City
SFO to MCI on Dec. 26 MCI to SFO on Dec. 28
Tennessee at Las Vegas
BNA to LAS on Dec. 26 LAS to BNA on Dec. 28
Buffalo at Miami
BUF to MIA on Dec. 31 MIA to BUF on Jan. 4
Houston at Green Bay
IAH to GRB on Jan. 4 GRB to IAH on Jan. 5
The end zone goes global
As football goes international, American and its partners offer fans the ability to travel near and far to catch every play live from the stadium. Special for fans in September, American will offer nonstop service between its hub in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG).
Moreover, when traveling with partners including Qantas, British Airways, Iberia, and GOL, AAdvantageยฎ members can not only earn and redeem miles when traveling with our partner airlines, but AAdvantageยฎ status members can also enjoy enhanced benefits such as advanced seat selection and priority boarding with our partner carriers.
Location
Month
Americanโs international presence
Melbourne, Australia (MEL)
September
Americanโs joint business partner Qantas offers six weekly flights between MEL and Los Angeles (LAX) and three weekly flights to DFW.
Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
September
American will offer special flights from DFW to GIG on Sept. 25 and GIG to DFW on Sept. 28, joining existing round-trip daily service between GIG and Miami (MIA). In addition, fans can seamlessly connect to Rio with our partner GOL through Sao Paulo (GRU).
London (LHR)
October
American is the largest U.S. airline serving London and, together with our joint business partner British Airways, customers can book travel on up to 70 peak daily flights from 27 destinations nationwide.
Paris (CDG)
October
American will offer up to five daily nonstop flights to CDG in late October, including flights from CLT, DFW, New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD) and Philadelphia (PHL).
Madrid (MAD)
November
American offers more flights than any other U.S. airline to MAD. Together with our joint business partner Iberia, travelers can book up to 18 peak daily flights from 11 destinations in the U.S. to MAD.
Munich (MUC)
November
American offers daily service to MUC from its hub at CLT. Together with our European partners, travelers can also enjoy one-stop connections to MUC.
Mexico City (MEX)
November
American offers nonstop flights to MEX from seven U.S. destinations: CLT, DFW, JFK, LAX, MIA, ORD and Phoenix (PHX).
AAdvantage members can score their own touchdowns
Scoring big isnโt just for the players. Starting Monday, May 18, AAdvantageยฎ members can enter to score their own touchdowns with this seasonโs AAdvantage Perksโ sweepstakes program. From Fan Flyaways, training camp experiences and more throughout the year, fans can look for options with some of their favorite teams to make this season more rewarding, even before booking the perfect itinerary.
In addition to redeeming AAdvantageยฎ miles for travel, upgrades and new inflight offerings, the AAdvantageยฎ program gives members more ways to elevate their football experience. Fans can sign up to be an AAdvantageยฎ member for free today and begin planning an unforgettable fall season of football, travel and more.
Flying fans closer to the field
College football planning is in full swing and Americanโs largest-ever schedule for fans is ready for booking. With the seasonโs matchups set, more than 13,000 seats with special flights on more than 50 routes are designed to give fans the perfect weekend at the stadium.
This season, the airline is adding more flights and seats to and from Austin, Texas (AUS); South Bend, Indiana (SBN); Oklahoma City (OKC); Columbia, Missouri (COU); College Station, Texas (CLL); Birmingham, Alabama (BHM); Lincoln, Nebraska (LNK) and more.
The California Science Center has reached another major milestone in the future Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center with the installation of the first artifacts in the Korean Air Aviation Gallery. Thanks to the generous support of Korean Air, these include one of the signature attractions of the gallery, The 747 Experience, a 70-foot forward section of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft fuselage, alongside four dramatically suspended aircraft from the Science Centerโs collection, which will eventually include approximately 20 aircraft on display. Building construction on the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center was completed in April and artifact and exhibit installation are well underway and will continue for several months. An opening date has not been set.
The upcoming Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is part of the California Science Centerโs 200,000 square-foot Phase III addition, spanning four floors and including 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. The new Air and Space Center will showcase a diverse collection of 100 artifacts, including rare and historic aerospace objects, integrated with 100 new exhibits, featuring hands-on, interactive experiences across three main galleries: the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery, the Korean Air Aviation Gallery, and the Kent Kresa Space Gallery.
The Korean Air Aviation Gallery explores how the pursuit to master the sky involves tradeoffs among four forces of flight โ lift, thrust, drag, and weight โ that affect every aircraft ever flown, whether it flies high, low, fast, or slow. The gallery will have three primary thematic areas: Learning to Fly, Everyday Flight, and Advanced Aviation.
Highlights will include The 747 Experience which comprises the 70-foot front section of the upper and main decks alongside the cockpit of a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 aircraft, and includes a simulated flight from Los Angeles to Seoul, Korea, in The 747 Experience Theater; the Wind Tunnels exhibit where guests will experiment in a wind tunnel lab, investigating the connections between the forces of flight through experiments with both weight and lift and thrust and lift; and the Design a Plane exhibit where guests will learn how planes can be engineered to meet the requirements of different flight missions.
The aircraft already installed and suspended from the ceiling of the Korean Air Aviation Gallery include a Grumman F11F-1 Tiger (U.S. Navyโs first supersonic fighter jet); a Convair F-106A Delta Dart (the fastest single-engine turbojet-powered airplane); a Pitts Special S-1C (aerobatic kit biplane); and a Hawker Siddeley Harrier T.4 (first jet with operational vertical/short takeoff and landing capabilities) โ the first artifact installed in the gallery.
To recognize this milestone, California Science Center President and CEO Jeffrey N. Rudolph was joined by major donor Walter Cho, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air and Hanjin Group, in making commemorative remarks. Following the program, guests were invited to tour the new gallery, experiencing the first glimpse of the future Korean Air Aviation Gallery.
Sun Country Airlines on May 12, 2026 unveiled this special retro livery on the pictured Boeing 737-800 registered as N826SY.
The special livery celebrates the airlineโs origins and honoring the people and communities who have shaped its 43-year journey. This is only Sun Countryโs second special livery.
The special livery, inspired by Sun Countryโs 1994 design, honors the airlineโs Minnesota roots and the generations of employees and customers who helped shape its story. What began as a small hometown carrier founded by a passionate group of aviators has grown into an airline deeply woven into the fabric of the Twin Cities and the communities it serves.
The aircraft is also dedicated to Sun Country pilot, co-founder, and first president Jim Olsen, who passed away in April 2026. Alongside his fellow founding members, Olsen defied the odds, building the airline from the ground up. Uniforms were hand-sewn, flights were catered with wholesale goods, and aircraft were cleaned every Tuesday by the very crews that flew them. That roll-up-your-sleeves spirit that defined Sun Country in its earliest days and remains central to the airline today.
This livery, while a nod to the past, is also meant to represent a bridge for the future. While much of the livery is the original 1994 design, the tail features the current Sun Country compass logomark as a nod to the current brand, which is set to be acquired by Allegiant Air in a deal expected to close May 13. Both brands represent strong value airlines, and their combination will bring more value and more service to their customers, with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport being the largest hub of the future combined company. Following deal close, there will be no change in service or schedules for either Sun Country or Allegiant customers.
The aircraft is expected to touch down in Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) for the first time on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
Also on May 13, 2026 Allegiant Travel Company (Allegiant Air) announced it had successfully completed its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines Holdings, Inc., bringing together two complementary carriers focused on affordable leisure travel. The transaction closed following satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of each of Allegiant and Sun Country.
The combination strengthens Allegiant’s position as a leading U.S. leisure airline by expanding its network, increasing scale, and enhancing its diversified operating model.
Together, Allegiant and Sun Country will serve approximately 22 million annual customers across nearly 175 cities, with more than 650 routes and a combined fleet of 195 aircraft.
Financially, the combination of Allegiant and Sun Country brings together two profitable airlines with complementary networks, diversified revenue streams and strong balance sheets, creating a platform with meaningful long-term value creation potential. Allegiant expects to realize approximately $140 million in annual synergies within three years following closing and integration, driven by expanded customer choice across the combined network, scale efficiencies, fleet optimization, and procurement benefits. The transaction is expected to be accretive to earnings per share in the first full year post-closing, while maintaining balance sheet flexibility.
Sun Country’s cargo operations for Amazon Prime Air and charter contracts with casinos, Major League Soccer, collegiate sports teams, and the Department of Defense, complement Allegiant’s existing charter business and further diversify the combined company’s revenue base. With 195 aircraft at closing, 30 aircraft on order and an additional 80 options, the combined company will have greater flexibility to optimize aircraft deployment, improve utilization, and support long-term growth through economic cycles.
Greg Anderson will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, and Robert Neal will serve as President and Chief Financial Officer. Jude Bricker, Jennifer Vogel and Thomas C. Kennedy were appointed as members of Allegiant’s Board of Directors.
Ahead of North America hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026โข, American Airlines, as the Official North American Airline Supplier of FIFA World Cup 26โขย in partnership with Qatar Airways and the Official Airline of U.S. Soccer, is helping fans everywhere celebrate with the introduction of new U.S. Soccer-themed amenity kits. These new kits will debut at the beginning of June and fly through July.
From the plane to the game
Designed for the journey and the celebration, these amenity kits can move with fans from the cabin to the stadium all summer long.
Flagshipยฎย First and Flagship Suiteยฎย Preferred seats: A clear bag with blue leather piping and a removeable crossbody strap.
Flagshipยฎย Business and Flagship Suiteยฎย seats: A clear bag with leather piping detail that can be worn two ways โ as a belt bag or crossbody.
Premium Economy: A clear pouch with a removeable wrist strap.
Tim Howard wearing Flagshipยฎ First and Flagship Suiteยฎ Preferred seat amenity kit.
American gives fans more ways to experience the beautiful game
Throughout the summer, American customers will have new ways to join the excitement, including special gate celebrations ahead of some of the tournamentโs most anticipated matches.
American also added 27,000 seats across 12 new and existing routes to support fan travel and is providing 1.45 million premium seats during the tournament. AAdvantageยฎ members have also enjoyed exclusive opportunities to use miles โ with millions of miles redeemed for thousands of match tickets.
Arrive refreshed with curated skincare essentials
Americanโs new amenity kits feature a curated selection of travel-ready skincare designed to refresh customers throughout their travel journey. Each kit features a curated selection of hand and body lotion, lip balm and brand-new items fit for summer: after-sun cooling gel and soccer-style socks, which will be available in both Flagshipยฎ First and Flagship Suiteยฎ Preferred seats and Flagshipยฎ Business and Flagship Suiteยฎ seats.
JetBlue Airways on May 11, 2026 launched its new daily summer-seasonal service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP), marking the airlineโs first-ever service to Italy. The new route expands JetBlueโs transatlantic network from Boston and reinforces the airlineโs position as New England’s leading leisure airline, while also strengthening convenient connections for customers traveling across JetBlueโs broader network.
With the start of service to Milan, JetBlue now offers customers nine daily nonstop destinations from Boston to Europe during the summer season, complementing existing year-round service to Amsterdam, London-Heathrow and Paris, as well as seasonal flights to Barcelona, Dublin, Edinburgh, London-Gatwick and Madrid. The new route builds on JetBlueโs continued investment in Boston, coming just weeks after the airline launched new seasonal service to Barcelona, Spain, and further strengthens Bostonโs role as a key connecting hub.
JetBlue continues to build Boston into a transatlantic gateway, offering customers throughout New England more ways to reach Europe with competitive fares and a high-quality onboard experience. Following the launch of service from Boston to Madrid and Edinburgh last year, and Barcelona earlier this spring, Milan now becomes the newest addition to JetBlueโs European map from Logan.
Daily seasonal service between Boston (BOS) and Milan (MXP) (Through October 5, 2026) All times local
Britten-Norman has delivered a BN2T-4S Islander to Xen Aviation & Services Inc. (Xen Aviation), marking the operatorโs introduction of its first Islander aircraft as it prepares to launch regional operations in Guyana.
The aircraft was completed at Britten-Normanโs UK facility and will support Xen Aviationโs planned commuter services in Georgetown, becoming the first BN2T-4S Islander to operate in the country.
The BN2T-4S is the enlarged turboprop variant of the Islander, offering approximately 30% more cabin space and an increased Maximum Take-Off Weight of 8,925 lbs (4,408 kg). Powered by twin Rolls- Royce 250-B17F engines, it delivers enhanced performance while retaining the Islanderโs long-established reputation as one of the worldโs leading short take-off and landing aircraft.
Purpose-designed for reliable, day-to-day operations from short, challenging and infrastructure-limited airstrips, the BN2T-4S supports consistent access in environments where runway length, surface condition and weather variability are routine considerations. This capability is well established across regions such as Guyana and the wider Caribbean, where the Islander has supported short-field operations from demanding and unprepared airstrips for decades.
The aircraft is equipped with a modern Garmin glass cockpit and integrated avionics suite, supporting enhanced situational awareness, operational safety and long-term supportability. The BN2T-4S can also be configured with full airframe de-icing, extending operational capability in more variable and demanding climates.
Britten-Norman continues to support operators worldwide with aircraft delivered to current operational standards, backed by OEM engineering, certification and through-life support.
The BN2T-4S Islander is certified in the UK, EU, US, Canada and Guyana. The aircraft is approved for up to 10 passengers, subject to local air operations regulations.
Xen Aviation & Services Inc. is the aviation investment arm of Adamantium Holdings, a Guyana based business conglomerate with a footprint in mining, construction, agriculture, real estate, general services and petroleum production support.ย
The centennial summer for American Airlines is shaping up to be one for the record books, with the airline set to welcome more customers than ever across its largest summer schedule to date.
During Americanโs summer travel period, which runs from May 21 through Sept. 8, the airline expects to welcome 75 million customers across 750,000 flights, smashing its previous record set in 2019. The summer kicks off with Memorial Day weekend, when American expects to welcome more than 4.2 million customers across more than 40,000 flights from May 21 through May 26. The most traveled day that weekend is Friday, May 22.
American has prepared to welcome record numbers of customers this summer by performing offseason preventive maintenance on its fleet, ensuring its facilities are ready for the summer heat and staffing up in key locations. In addition, the airline has made key changes to improve reliability across its network โ and early results are promising:
Reimagined DFW schedule:ย At its largest hub, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), American introduced a new 13-bank schedule that has already minimized delays, reduced customer misconnects and gate changes. The new schedule has also delivered record baggage handling performance and an increase in customer satisfaction in its first month. Given the outsized impact DFW has on the broader airline, those improvements are having a ripple effect across Americanโs operation.
Bolstering the transatlantic gateway:ย At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), a redesigned afternoon schedule for transatlantic flights is giving customers more travel options while easing congestion and improving our on-time performance.
Investing in schedule resilience:ย Americanโs significant investment in scheduled block time โ or the amount of time allotted for each flight โ has added more certainty for customersโ travel. American had the best block performance among the major U.S. carriers in April, meaning more flights were completed within their scheduled time. This sets the airline up for success as it delivers a reliable operation this summer.
Focus on Chicago
Thanks to the Federal Aviation Administrationโs action to bring flight schedules back within Chicago O’Hare International Airportโs (ORD) operational capacity, customers traveling through this key hub can expect a more reliable experience this summer with improved on-time performance, fewer congestion-driven delays and a more predictable operation overall.
American expects to welcome more than 5.2 million customers at ORD this summer โ an 11% increase since 2025 and a 48% increase compared to 2023.
Improving how it handles flight disruptions, with new digital tools that explainย the why behind delays and cancellationsย and offer easy, self-service options like rebooking, bag tracking and digital vouchers โ all in the American app.
Making the security process more seamless with TSA PreCheckยฎย Touchless ID, which isย now availableย at 60 airports, including all of Americanโs hubs. The customer opt-in program brings participating customers a much faster, touchless identity verification process and eliminates the need to present an ID at the security checkpoint.ย Travelers aged 30 and under save $20ย on TSA PreCheckยฎย during the month of May.
Easing flight connections at DFW and London Heathrow (LHR) with One Stop Security, which is now live on all flights between those two airports. This program allows customers to proceed to connecting flights without needing to claim and recheck baggage or pass through additional security screening.
Four facts about Americanโs summer operation
Americanโs most-traveled day this summer is July 17, with 6,995 flights. Its second most-traveled day is July 10, with 6,991 flights.
Throughout the summer, there will be five flights โ or nearly 500 customers โ taking off each minute.
American is adding two exciting new destinations to its route map this summer: service from PHL to Budapest, Hungary (BUD), and Prague (PRG). That is in addition to three new long-haul routes: DFW to Athens, Greece (ATH), and Zurich (ZRH), and Miami (MIA) to Milan (MXP).
Americanโs top three non-hub destinations this summer are Orlando (MCO), LHR and Boston (BOS).
Boeing flew the first 777-9 for Lufthansa Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Tim Stake photo)
The first 777-9 airplane for Lufthansa, Europeโs largest airline and one of the 777X launch customers, flew for the first time ahead of certification testing in the weeks ahead.
Instead of a test interior, the airplane features Lufthansaโs fully outfitted passenger cabin, from premium and economy seats to in-flight entertainment systems.
About the flight: Boeing pilots Capt. Ted Grady and Capt. Jake Miller flew a threeโhour, 27-minute profile over Washington and Oregon, completing a standard flight designed to test the airplaneโs systems and structures, with systems operators Zach Lewis and Joel Conard, flight analysts Cody Bruinsma, Mike Deutsch and Carl Zietz, and engineers Ben Wolter and Scott Dailey. The airplane landed at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 4:52 p.m. PT.
โThe airplane performed as we expected,โ said Grady, 777/777X chief pilot. โThe 777-9 continues to handle beautifully. Thank you to everyone who worked to get the airplane ready for this flight and its next phase of testing.โ
Why it matters: First-of-model airplanes, like this one, establish a baseline configuration for customer deliveries. The airplane will undergo ground and flight tests, with an emphasis on cabin systems and connectivity.
Preparing the airplane: Since the airplane rolled out from the Everett factory, teams applied a clear top coat to protect the structure and completed fueling, engine runs and taxi tests.
As Engineering ship captain for the airplane, Sam Damico supported the production and test teams as they completed the airplane and prepared it for flight.
โWeโre taking part in something really significant for the company,โ Damico said. โThereโs a lot of pride from everyone who helped bring all of these pieces together, working late nights and weekends, so this airplane can go and do its mission.โ
Boeing will paint the airplane with the full Lufthansa livery before delivery.
Capt. Jake Miller inspects the 777-9 prior to Thursdayโs first flight. (Tim Stake photo)
Testing, certification, delivery: The program has logged more than 4,700 flight test hours across the 777-9 test fleet. In addition to the dedicated test airplanes, production airplanes โ like this sixth 777-9 to fly โ are essential to completing certification requirements and preparing for first delivery in 2027, the company said.
โOur team continues to face into the challenges of bringing a new airplane to market, and preparing to begin certification testing on this 777-9 is one more example of our progress,โ said Terry Beezhold, 777-9 vice president and program manager. โIโm grateful to our team whose skill and dedication will help us deliver this airplane and to Lufthansa and all of our customers for choosing the 777X family.โ
About the family: The 777X family โ the 777-9, the 777-8 Freighter and the 777-8 passenger airplane โ are the newest members of Boeingโs market-leading widebody family.
Customers have ordered more than 620 777X airplanes.
