According to a person knowledgeable on the topic, Boeing Co (BA.N) is preparing for a further delay in the 777X program, which would push first deliveries back at least a year to early 2025.
The postponement is in line with a prediction made by the plane’s largest customer, Emirates Airlines, whose president, Tim Clark, told Aviation Daily in an April 7 story that the company expects to get its first Boeing 777X before 2025.
The source confirmed the delay, which was initially reported Friday by the aviation industry website Air Current, which stated that Boeing expected to delay certification until late 2024 – or by another nine to twelve months for the wide-body aircraft – with deliveries beginning in 2025.
According to Reuters, the FAA told Boeing in a letter dated March 21 that existing certification timetables for the 737 MAX 10 and 777X were “outdated and no longer reflect the program activity.”
Boeing had previously stated that the 777X would be certified by the end of 2023. Before Boeing can begin delivery, it must first obtain certification.
Boeing said in a statement Friday that it is “committed to working honestly with regulators and our customers” in response to the delay claim.
The 777X, also known as the 777-9 is a larger variant of the 777 wide-body plane and has been in development since 2013, with an initial release date of June 2020.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Boeing last month that it is trying to begin 787 Dreamliner deliveries, according to Reuters. According to Reuters, important airlines and parts suppliers were informed that deliveries would start in the second half of 2022.
Boeing’s bloated 787 inventory has locked up urgently needed cash and reduced airline capacity since deliveries were suspended nearly a year ago due to structural issues.