Says "Boeing Really Needs to Get Their Act Together" After 8-Year Backorder

Dubai's Emirates has joined with fellow Boeing waitlisters in debating their retention of order slots for the 777X if delays continue. The airline's president, Tim Clark, has hinted that the 8-year-old order of 115 777-9Xs are looking less attractive by the day as their delivery is pushed out far beyond any initial expectations. 

In an interview with an airline trade publication, he said "We don’t want to cancel the 787s or the 777-9s, we want the airplanes. What is going to happen when the A380 goes otherwise, what am I left with? But we want the aircraft in the shape that the contract requires." Given the string of problems in passing inspection and certification woes with so many of their products, wariness towards Boeing isn't completely unfounded. While Emirates wants the aircraft, they have not failed to notice that 12 of the initial production run have been in storage un-engined, with the company promising that they have a soft "conditional yes" to certification sometime in mid-2023. 

If they can't get squared away quickly, Boeing could find itself looking for other buyers. "Honestly, if it goes beyond 2023, and it goes on for another year, we will probably cancel the program. What else can we do? We can’t continue the way we are. Boeing really needs to get their act together and get this aircraft sorted," said Clark. "Don’t forget – the aircraft was originally designed for delivery in April 2020, it’s now 2024 if we are lucky. You’ve now got a four-year delay with the program. If they got another year on it, we are going to question if this is fit for purpose or not, what’s the problem with it?"

FMI: www.boeing.com