Aviation: Boeing expects new delays for the 777-9

If everything had gone more or less according to plan, Boeing would have delivered its first long-haul 777-9 almost six years ago. Lufthansa and other airlines would have been able to modernize their aging long-haul fleets starting in 2020 – but the airlines are still waiting for the new aircraft. And it looks like there's more bad news to come.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg recently admitted at an investor conference that his company is struggling with new delays in the certification of the 777-9 . The extent of these delays is not yet known. However, the new schedule is scheduled to be released in October, along with the third-quarter figures. The previous schedule called for Lufthansa to receive the first of a total of 27 aircraft next year. Ortberg's statements now indicate that this deadline may no longer be met.

Ortberg blames the new delay on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is required to approve each new phase of certification flights, but is doing so very slowly. However, everything is technically sound with the aircraft and engines. "We can fly," Ortberg said, but flights will not count toward certification until the FAA officially approves them.

For major customers like Lufthansa and Emirates, the expected new delays are a major setback. Lufthansa, in particular, is plagued by a completely outdated long-haul fleet that is becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to maintain. As a result, about 20 percent of all wide-body jets are grounded in Frankfurt as reserve aircraft, ready to replace another aircraft in the event of a technical failure.

The 777-9 is a modernized and lengthened version of the Boeing 777 , the first generation of which was launched in 1995. It features new wings and new engines from GE Aerospace, among other things. The program is now six years behind schedule, due in part to several technical issues with the aircraft itself and the engines. The coronavirus pandemic also had an impact.

Most importantly, the FAA drastically tightened its oversight of the aircraft manufacturer after the two devastating crashes of Boeing 737 Max aircraft in 2018 and 2019. A total of 346 people were killed at that time. As a result, the agency has now become much more rigorous when it comes to certifying new versions of jets from all manufacturers.

Boeing has therefore refrained from criticizing the FAA so far, but Ortberg has now made it clear: "The certification process is far too slow," he said. "We need to work with the FAA to swing the pendulum back and create a process that works." He said he couldn't imagine Boeing developing a new aircraft if the process remained the same. The company's next goal is to build a successor to the 737 Max , which has lost significant market share to Airbus ' A320neo . However, the model is unlikely to be in the air before the mid-2030s.