NEWTOWN, Conn. - General Electric is delaying the first test flights of its Passport turbofan by 3 or 4 months to the end of the year, or early 2015. The engine program is on track; the delay is attributed to GE' switching of test aircraft from a recently acquired 747-400 to a much older 747-100. The time will be used to make necessary changes to the engine pylon to accept the Passport engine.
Six engines are involved in the testing program, and so far have accumulated 650 hours of run time. In spite of the delay, GE maintains the Passport will complete FAA certification in 2015, which will help Bombardier keep its Global 7000 and Global 8000 schedules intact.