Boeing (BOE, Washington National) has confirmed that the entry into service of its newest widebody type, the B777-9, is now planned for early 2021 rather than 2020.
"The 777X program is progressing through pre-flight testing and remains on track for first flight in early 2020. The company is now targeting early 2021 for first delivery of the 777X," the American manufacturer said in its quarterly earnings reporting.
The type's first flight has been delayed by performance issues with its General Electric GE9X engines, as well as by failed ground stress tests in September.
Emirates (EK, Dubai International), one of the type's first operators, has recently said it no longer expects any deliveries of the B777-9s in 2020. Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) and Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) are both vying to be the type's launch operator. According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Boeing has so far received 344 firm orders for the B777Xs, including 281 for the -9s, 53 for the B777-8s, and ten for an unspecified variant.
In the quarterly earnings release, Boeing also said it will reduce the B787 production rate from 14 to 12 units per month due to "the current global trade environment". The change is due to go into effect in late 2020 for a period of two years. It will affect assembly plants at both Everett and Charleston International.
Boeing increased the production rate of the B787s from 12 to 14 per month earlier this year.
Finally, the manufacturer confirmed that its priority remains the return of the B737 MAX to service.
"[The] regulatory authorities will determine the timing and conditions of return to service in each relevant jurisdiction. For purposes of the third-quarter results, the company has assumed that regulatory approval of the 737 MAX return to service begins in the fourth quarter of 2019 and that it will gradually increase the 737 production rate from 42 per month to 57 per month by late 2020," Boeing said.
Meanwhile, Ryanair Holdings Chief Executive Michael O'Leary has told Aviation Week that the LCC only expects between 20 and 30 B737-8-200s to deliver in 2020, down from the original plan of 58. He acknowledged that separate certification required for the higher-capacity -200 variant will likely result in an additional two months delay for the carrier.
Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) is one of only two customers for the -200 variant with 135 units on firm order. VietJetAir (VJ, Hanoi Noi Bai International) has 200 units on firm order from the manufacturer.
