Why another delay of Boeing’s new 777X plane is such a big deal

Operationally, the 777X is similar to its predecessor — and that’s by design. Its flight deck resembles that of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner — meaning pilots can jump between all aircraft with little extra training, and airports save on infrastructure costs.

Boeing’s last completely new widebody plane was the 787 way back in 2003. While the Dreamliner is a cash cow with over 2,300 orders and about 1,100 delivered, the planemaker wasn’t ready to invest in another challenging, time-consuming, and expensive clean-sheet widebody this time around.

Despite the substantial investment, Emirates president Tim Clark has voiced his concern over Boeing’s 777X delays, and he isn’t pleased with the latest setback. He told Business Insider on Monday the airline has already made “significant and highly expensive” fleet adjustments to accommodate Boeing’s “contractual shortfalls.”

“I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates,” Clark said. “We will be having a serious conversation with them over the next couple of months.”

Still, Clark told The Air Current in June that the 777X is a promising plane but noted that its problems are bad for airlines relying on Boeing to fulfill their demand needs because it’s taking so long to certify.

Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia told BI in July that Boeing is likely too far in to cancel the program. Airlines and Boeing will eventually benefit once the new widebody hits the market.

“The 777X is definitely worth pursuing,” Aboulafia said. “It’s the largest jetliner on the market, which is always useful for slot-constrained airlines. And the order book is respectable, if not fantastic, for a program at this stage.”