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Boeing Delays Delivery of 777X Again

Boeing has officially pushed back delivery of its long-delayed 777X to 2027.

In an earnings report released Wednesday, the aerospace manufacturing giant recorded a $4.9 billion charge in connection with the 777X’s changing timeline. The widebody jet was supposed to be delivered to launch customer Lufthansa in 2026.

“While we are disappointed in the 777X schedule delay, the airplane continues to perform well in flight testing, and we remain focused on the work ahead to complete our development programs and stabilize our operations in order to fully recover our company’s performance and restore trust with all of our stakeholders,” Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a statement.

Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the 777X would likely be pushed back to 2027. The financial news outlet cited unnamed sources who said Lufthansa and Emirates, another major 777X customer, are making changes to its fleet planning for 2026 to accommodate the delay.

Other known buyers of the 777X include Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Air India, China Airlines, Korean Air, and British Airways parent company International Airlines Group.

Boeing's fifth 777X takes flight
Boeing’s fifth 777X takes flight. [Courtesy: Boeing]

Falling Behind Schedule

The 777X was originally scheduled to enter commercial service in 2020, but technical problems, supply chain issues, and continued delays in the aircraft’s certification by the FAA have postponed deliveries several times. The FAA faulted the type for an alleged lack of “design maturity” and in 2020 reported an “uncommanded pitch event” on a test flight, which caused the airplane’s nose to pitch up without pilot input.

Boeing executives signaled in recent weeks that the 777X’s certification was falling behind schedule.

In September, Ortberg told Morgan Stanley’s Laguna Conference that there was a “mountain of work” tied to the 777X, though he pointed out that there are now five aircraft in the testing program.

There have been no new technical problems with the 777X or its engines, he added, but the certification process as a whole is taking longer than company leaders anticipated.

“We’re clearly behind our plan in getting the certification done,” Ortberg said, according to Business Insider.

At the time, the CEO was still confident the aircraft would be ready by 2026.

Boeing has also struggled to gain certification for two of its 737 Max variants, the Max 7 and the Max 10, both of which were expected to enter service years ago.

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