Emirates Still Expects Boeing 777X Delays

Emirates is the largest customer for the upcoming 777X; however, it has also been the most vocal about prospective delays and their impact.

Key executives, such as the airline president Tim Clark, have maintained that the delays considerably impact the business.

Emirates expected the first unit to arrive at the beginning of the 2020s. However, it became apparent that this wouldn’t be achieved due to a pandemic, Boeing’s internal issues, certification troubles, etc.

However, Emirates wouldn’t have been able to predict the delays that would follow and the overall operational and financial impact this early on.

Boeing has clarified that it has been on track to achieve a 2025 certification of the 777-9, the first variant in the programme, with more, such as the 777-8 and 777-8F, to follow later.

Despite Boeing’s attempts to certify the 777X by next year and having successfully commenced FAA certification flight tests, airlines remain sceptical.

According to reports at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow, Tim Clark still expects an official EIS for the 777X in 2026 and a full certification at the end of 2025, permitting no further delays.

Clark has reaffirmed his 2026 expectations on several occasions, aligning with Lufthansa’s expectations. The German flag carrier is preparing for a mid-2026 entry into service that would align with the summer schedule.

The process of certifying the 777X has been arguably one of the hardest recently, as Boeing faces substantial oversight from the FAA.

This enhanced oversight does not just come following a door blowout incident but also the plethora of quality issues and concerns around Boeing’s products that have emerged across the last half a decade, stemming from the earlier cutting of corners.

The delays have left airlines like Emirates, despite their stature, scrambling to mitigate the overall impact. This has included speeding up a major retrofit programme.