Boeing is preparing for a new delay in the 777X program that would push first deliveries by at least a year into early 2025, a source briefed on the matter told Reuters.
The delay is in line with an estimate given by the plane’s biggest customer – Emirates Airlines – whose president, Tim Clark, told Aviation Daily in an April 7 story he did expect to receive its first Boeing 777X before 2025.
The source confirmed the delay, first reported Friday by the Air Current aviation industry publication that said Boeing expects to delay the certification target until late 2024 – or by another nine to 12 months for the wide-body aircraft – with deliveries to follow in 2025.
The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because the revised target date had not yet been publicly released.
Boeing had earlier said it expected to win certification for the 777X by the end of 2023. Certification is needed before Boeing can begin deliveries.
The 777X, known as the 777-9 and a larger version of the 777 wide-body jet, has been in development since 2013 and at one point was expected to be released for airline use in June 2020.
Source: Reuters
