ANA To Recieve First 777X In 2026/27

ANA expects to take delivery of its first Boeing 777X in 2026FY as part of renewal and growth efforts.

The airline’s latest forecasting comes following aircraft delivery delays across its business driven by Boeing’s inability to reach output targets and thus seeing its backlog grow but delays pushed out.

ANA is committed to the 777X, and the high-capacity 777-9 is expected to play an integral role in renewal and growth efforts.

An order for 20 units was placed initially; however, in 2022, the Japanese carrier adjusted its commitment to the series, swapping two passenger units out for the upcoming 777-8F for its ANA Cargo division.

When this order was firm in 2022, the investment aligned with the airline’s attempts to modernise its fleet with more efficient aircraft and help phase out older long-haul jets.

The interior configuration of the 777-9 has yet to be confirmed. This is not helped by the great uncertainty that has continued to impact customers of the 777X, thanks to delivery delays driven by certification woes.

The Boeing 777X Delays

Customers like ANA have had to deal with many unknowns surrounding the 777X program, as Boeing initially hoped to deliver the first unit in 2020.

However, as the middle of the decade has arrived, not only has the plane not been delivered to any airline customers, but it has also yet to operate a scheduled flight and be certified.

Boeing had been targeting a 2025 certification and first delivery for an extended period following many significant delays. However, analysts were sceptical that this would be achieved.

Boeing held out hope and remained firm throughout 2024, holding to its target. However, by the last quarter of 2024, it was confirmed that a 2025 approval and first delivery would be unattainable and delayed the program’s launch by another year to 2026.

Lufthansa was most recently confirmed as the launch operator of the aircraft, beating out Emirates.

Based on ANA’s latest forecasting, they also expect to be one of the early adopters of the aircraft with the jet to bring truckloads of efficiency and excitement to the network as fleet renewal efforts continue.