Boeingsay (NYSE: BA) 777X, which has already been delayed until 2022, according to the main customer of the aircraft may not arrive until 2023 or even later.
In an interview with Reuters today, Emirates president Tim Clark said his airline does not assume the plane will arrive in 2022 as expected. Emirates represents about a third of the 777X’s order book, but the airline has previously said it may consider exchanging some of its orders with different aircraft, depending on market conditions and how long it will take before the 777X arrives.
Boeing’s 777 assembly line. Image source: Boeing.
The 777X is an update of Boeing’s long-haul workhorse and will be the first new aircraft the company has tried to certify since the 737 MAX. The MAX rollout is not planned, with the plane grounded 20 months after a number of fatal crashes, and Clark expects a heavy regulatory investigation to be applied this time around.
He told Reuters the 777X certification could take place in 2022, or ‘it could be ’23, it could be even longer’ and said Emirates would just wait and see what Boeing is going to do with this, and we will have an opinion on how they fit into the navy at that particular time. ‘
Boeing had originally hoped to have the 777X ready now, but a combination of low demand and failed tests pushed the roster back. The plane flew for the first time last year, but even before the pandemic, it was unlikely that Boeing would start deliveries until at least 2021.
The 737 MAX, which forms the bulk of Boeing’s order book, has been cleared to service again. The company is likely to rely heavily on 737 sales and deliveries in the coming years as airlines plan slow repairs and focus on larger aircraft such as the 777 and 787 Dreamliner.