The German flag carrier is considering deferring or rejecting its first Boeing 777X aircraft as certification delays continue to frustrate customers. Lufthansa would become the third major carrier to rethink early deliveries of Boeing’s long-delayed widebody.
The airline is reviewing its fleet plans because the aircraft is now expected to arrive years later than originally promised, Aviation Week reported.
«We are in talks with Boeing [on] which airplanes we will not accept for commercial service and which aircraft can be modernised with a financial contribution of Boeing,» Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr was quoted by the media outlet.
If the airline proceeds, it would become the third major customer to distance itself from the initial production aircraft. Several carriers have already renegotiated delivery schedules or refused to accept the earliest jets, citing years of delays that have disrupted long-term fleet planning.
Delays continue to reshape airline plans
Back in July, the Chicago-based United Airlines confirmed that it had no interest in purchasing the 777X recently built for Emirates. The Dubai carrier has ordered 270 new 777X planes from Boeing at $440 million each, with the first jet scheduled for delivery in 2019. But the planes are still not delivered seven years on, due to repeated delays from design changes.
Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates, said he understood Boeing had been trying to find a home for the aircraft before adding, “Heinz would be interested – baked bean cans.”
The Boeing 777X was originally due to enter commercial service in 2020, but the programme has suffered repeated setbacks linked to certification requirements, technical difficulties, the pandemic and increased regulatory scrutiny following the 737 MAX crisis. Boeing now expects the aircraft to enter service in 2027, around seven years later than first planned.
The 777X is Boeing’s next-generation widebody family, comprising the 777-9 passenger aircraft and the 777-8 freighter. The aircraft features new GE9X engines, composite folding wingtips and improved aerodynamics aimed at reducing fuel burn while carrying more passengers than the current 777.
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