Lufthansa Frustrated Over Boeing Delivery Delays

Lufthansa’s frustrations over persistent aircraft delivery delays and problems at Boeing continue to increase following new comments.

Carsten Sphor, the CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, spoke with Neue Zuercher Zeitung and discussed how the latest delivery delays are affecting the business in the long term.

Delays in acquiring next-generation aircraft meant to be a fundamental part of the company’s long-term future have been ongoing for a considerable period. Now, the Lufthansa head says that the costs are mounting as the company struggles to mitigate losses felt from delays.

While Lufthansa continues to reaffirm its stance that Boeing will get its problems under control, with each passing month, this seems increasingly unlikely to happen anytime soon. Lufthansa knows that the industry needs a successful Boeing to truly thrive, and based on a storied history, that’s why patience is present.

Lufthansa Battles Delivery Delays

The ongoing frustration stems from the inability to take delivery of next-generation twin-engine aircraft that were scheduled over the last few years.

During the height of the pandemic, Lufthansa pulled the plug on several widebodies with a view to replacing them with more efficient twin-engine aircraft. However, when demand surged back, and manufacturers faced supply chain difficulties, Lufthansa could not offer the capacity needed for the new aircraft.

Thanks to these difficulties, the airline was forced to look back towards retired aircraft types that brought with them rather inefficient operations. These aircraft are viewed as a short-term solution while the airline awaits aircraft deliveries from Boeing and Airbus.

777X Delays Expected For Lufthansa

Lufthansa CEO’s comments on Boeing came weeks after the airline expressed concern over Boeing’s inability to meet deadlines for delivering the 777X once more.

Lufthansa’s expected arrival date of the 777X has slipped considerably over the last five years. Lufthansa now forecasts a 2026 entry into service, some 6 years later than expected.

According to reports, Lufthansa CEO Jens Ritter stated that the first delivery of the 777X would now be likely to arrive sometime in 2026, representing another delay.

As a result, if everything goes according to plan, the airline forecasts an expected entry into scheduled commercial service in time for the summer 2026 season. However, the ongoing certification of this jet remains a sensitive subject, following Boeing’s latest difficulties with quality due to a door blowout incident.