Boeing 787 Order Has Been Terminated

In its January 2026 orders and deliveries report, Boeing confirmed the cancellation of two 787 Dreamliners.

Papua New Guinea’s Air Niugini is the customer in question, which has moved to cancel its orders for two Boeing 787s and terminate all remaining widebody commitments.

The blow to Air Niugini’s future fleet makeup follows the American planemaker recording 107 new commercial aircraft orders in January 2026, its best first-month performance in over a decade.

Air Niugini’s Boeing 787 Order Origins

Air Niugini’s order history with the Boeing 787 dates back nearly two decades. Cirium data indicate the airline placed a single order for the 787-8 in 2007, which it cancelled in 2019.

In June 2023, the carrier made its intentions clear by purchasing two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to support its long-haul fleet renewal.

To expand connectivity and enable the flag carrier of Papua New Guinea to launch new routes from the Pacific island nation to Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, the Dreamliner was deemed the best choice.

At the time of the deal’s announcement, the airline’s CEO, Gary Seddon, said that the Dreamliner would help the airline provide the best air service in the region.

The American planemaker highlighted that the widebody, with its excellent capabilities, would enable increased tourism and economic growth across the South Pacific region.

Boeing has long supported Air Niugini, and a purchase of the 787 was seen as the next natural step to help develop the aviation industry across Papua New Guinea. However, shortly after the order was placed, doubts were cast.

Order Cancellation Hinted At

During Air Niugini’s Reflect Program, the largest capital expenditure in the country’s aviation sector, updates were provided on the business’s status, including the order backlog, which includes the Boeing 787.

In what was described as a long overdue transformative journey to revolutionise air travel, not just in Papua New Guinea, but also the position of the country in the Asia Pacific region, fleet modernisation was a key focus.

However, in these plans, the airline said that while the purchase of two Boeing 787-8s had been approved, changing circumstances affecting the business had prompted them to review the 787-8 order and consider whether to proceed.

A year on from that review, the airline has confirmed the cancellation of the order. The carrier now lacks a widebody aircraft to replace the Boeing 767-300s, which, under the 2025 forecast, were expected to exit in 2026 at the conclusion of their leases.