Boeing 777X: Global carriers grow impatient as aircraft maker again shifts delivery timeline till 2027

*Lufthansa and Emirates Airlines, among others, express impatience and weariness with the ever-delayed Boeing widebody’s schedule, but neither has cancelled orders for the massive jet series thus far

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to earlier dashed expectations from world’s leading carriers, Boeing’s beleaguered massive jet, next-generation widebody programme is stalling out again.

In recent months, the outlook slid from a hopeful debut date in mid-2026, to the end of next year.

The 777X production has now been pushed out to 2027, agency report said.

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It was learnt that the massive jet, with its industry-first folding wing tips, was supposed to enter service since 2020 when Boeing announced it for the first time 2013.

It is now approaching a decade overdue with a seemingly endless series of issues and delays, report stated.

The perpetually troubled 777X

The news comes ahead of the 2025 Dubai Airshow next month, which is the same venue where Boeing incidentally, first announced the 777X from 2013.

The show is home territory for some of the biggest customer carriers for the highly anticipated widebody, such as Emirates with 200 orders and Qatar Airways with 100 orders.

ConsumerConnect reports Emirates Airlines has the world’s largest fleet of widebody jets and operates the most Boeing 777s anywhere on earth.

Global carriers still ‘Waiting for Godot’ on 777X delivery?

Report further indicates that Lufthansa is still flying legacy 747s and A340s to serve the routes on which the airline will fly the 777X massive jet.

Both Lufthansa and Emirates have expressed impatience and weariness with the ever-delayed Boeing widebody’s schedule, but neither has cancelled orders so far.

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As regard the continued delay in the release of the 777X, the most recent schedule slide is expected to cost Boeing billions of losses, according to the company’s own estimates.

Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg, February 2025, was recorded by Leeham News and Analysis at an investor’s conference.

Ortberg reportedly said: “The challenge is we’ve got to get through the certification here on the Dash 9 to start delivering these things to our customers.”

On Boeing’s impatient customers

The devastating Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gave Boeing some breathing room as the world of air travel was brought to its knees, and ground to a halt, report noted.

That was only a brief reprieve, however, as the resurgence of leisure and business flying has driven record highs in air traffic worldwide.

The dramatic wave of renewed demand for international flights puts the pressure back on to get the 777X to service.

Report said Emirates had taken delivery of Airbus A350-900s.

However, as the 777X continues to disappoint, the international airline has expressed interest in its forthcoming stretched variant, the A350-1000, according to report.

As Boeing’s top customer for the gigantic jet at this time, losing sales from Emirates is a very real threat to the programme’s bottom line.

It is also a risk for the company as a whole, which is struggling from other loss-generating products.

Likewise, Lufthansa has 747-400s that are a few decades old, and A340s that are not far behind in age.

The current order is only for 20 of the new 777X to replace its jumbo jets with four engines, and with the track record that the programme has had, it’s unlikely Boeing will convert that to a bigger number, report said.

What’s wrong with the 777X?

The recent issues have revolved around the power plants with engine mount problems, severed thrust links, and de-icing faults.

In the past, other problems were found with equipment like cargo doors, but the most significant hurdles now sound like they are related to regulatory requirements in the United States (US).

The poor safety record Boeing has exhibited in recent years, with fatal crashes of its 737 MAX found to be the company’s fault, has demanded great scrutiny from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The announcement does not come with any newly discovered technical problems by Boeing, but instead reflects the need for a longer timeline to fully resolve all remaining deficiencies in the aircraft manufacturer’s.

The design of the 777X pushes the envelope for commercial aircraft engineering, report noted.

Set to be the largest twinjet ever made, it will be outfitted with the largest turbofans in history, the GE9X.

To fit the enormous jet into existing airports, it will have the first folding wing mechanisms ever seen on a commercial airliner.

The extra wingspan and engines are key to achieving its promised fuel efficiency improvement of roughly 15 percent over current competitors and legacy models like the preceding 777.

When it finally enters production, it will certainly be a game-changer for all its operators, report said.

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