Over three years after its first
flight, and first delivery target, the Boeing 777X still finds itself
in the certification process. Boeing's latest widebody has been hit with
delays due to COVID but it hasn’t stopped there. Engine troubles and extra regulator scrutiny
have also been factors in pushing back the first delivery by roughly five years. However,
the planemaker has been busy in recent months, restarting tests and even booking new customers.
Here's the latest on the 777X in 2023. Boeing's four testbed 777Xs (all eventually
going to customers) have been hard at work. Each plane has been designated a
specific role. One is focused on low-speed aerodynamics while another on
flight loads and another on auto-landing. After a brief pause at end of the last year
due to an issue with the GE9X powerplants, the planes have been busy
flying since December 2022. N779XW has been the busiest (with electronic, taxi
tests, and more). Meanwhile N779XZ has been on the ground since November 2021. The jet is focused on
extended twin operations, reliability, and more. Currently, the planemaker expects the first 777X
to be delivered in early 2025. The timeline has been slipping for a few years now, with
the last target of Q4 2024 being delayed. The next crucial step, Type Inspection
Authorization (TIA) is expected to be nearing. This will see FAA pilots hop onboard
to authorize final certification steps. As noted by Mentour Pilot, Boeing has been forced
to move around resources over the past year. At first, the planemaker was concerned that it
wouldn't receive a cockpit change waiver for the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10. This forced it to deploy
engineering and testing resources to those jets. However, with Congress authorizing a waiver,
the focus has since returned to the 777X, allowing it to inch closer to its
Type Inspection Authorization. On the topic of the Boeing 777X’s
severe delays and its latest 2025 entry-into service target, the company’s
Chief Executive Officer, Dave Calhoun, was reportedly denied his $7 million bonus
due to delays. The company encouraged the performance-based incentive when
he replaced CEO Dennis Muilenburg in 2020. The motivation was based on reaching
at least seven milestones by the end of 2023. The Boeing compensation committee met in
August 2022 and noted that the incentive would not be granted because the Boeing 777X was unlikely to enter service by 2023,
which was the manufacturer's goal. The CEO will not be left entirely out of
pocket for incentive payments. Indeed, Calhoun is on track to receive most
of his performance-based goals, including reintroducing the Boeing 737 MAX
into service. The committee also respected Calhoun’s development timeline for the
Boeing 777X, which has advanced in respect to the manufacturer's best interest. This
has come at the cost of the CEO's bonus. In late-June 2023, it was noted that Boeing
and engine maker General Electric (GE) had jointly agreed to allow Emirates to conduct an
integral part of the 777X program's advancement. Leeham News and Analysis first reported
the development at a Boeing event related to the Paris Airshow. The outlet
confirmed that the 777-9 variant is set to go to Dubai in 2024 for
about two months of proving flights. It’s fitting that Emirates will be one of
the airlines involved in the certification process for the airliner. Afterall, the
airline is Boeing’s largest customer for the new widebody jet. Indeed, Emirates
has more than 100 airframes on order. 2024’s proving tests will mark nearly
five years since the airline initially expected delivery of the plane, which
has evidently experienced several delays. On the topic of Emirates’ orders for
the 777X, we reported in late July that Emirates seems to be sticking to its
previous threats about gradually abandoning the Boeing 777-8 after the Boeing paused the
program. A quick analysis of Boeing's June order book shockingly revealed that the Gulf
carrier substituted 16 777-8s for the 777-9 instead. This comes a decade after the initial
order was placed at the Dubai Airshow in 2013. The airline's President, Tim Clark, has routinely
expressed frustration with Boeing's supposed lack of communication and its overall quote-unquote
'incompetence' concerning the 777X program. With the 777-8 paused and the 777-9
expected to be delivered in 2025, Clark also chose to downsize his
airline's Boeing 777X order a few times. Excluding this supposed variant swap, the count
would set at 115 aircraft, including 35 777-8s and 80 777-9s. The airline has also ordered
Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s as a likely backup. At this time of this video’s production, neither
Boeing nor Emirates have responded with comment or confirmation of an order adjustment. If we suppose
that it’s true, then the Emirates order would have shifted to 19 777-8s and 96 777-9s. In hindsight,
the reduced range of the 777-9 is unlikely to deter Emirates, given its expected quicker
timeline than the frozen 777-8 passenger variant. While Boeing has been taking direct
criticism from customers like Emirates and indirect pessimism with delayed delivery
timelines from others, the company booked a significant new 777X order this year.
In February, Air India booked 10 777-9s. This made the indian flag carrier the eighth
customer for the latest generation widebody. The order was part of a 470 jet order by
the carrier to both Airbus and Boeing. While ten is not the biggest order by
any margin, it is an important vote of confidence in a highly delayed program.
Indeed, the market is primed for a new widebody to take the place of the 747 and
replace the aging 777 classic variants. The project also took another step forward last
year when Boeing unveiled the 777X freighter. This has garnered interest from the likes of Qatar
Airways, Cargolux, Ethiopian Airlines, and more. At the end of May 2023, Reuters reported that,
Cathay Pacific is poised to announce a modest order for six new Boeing 777-8 Freighters.
The order, estimated at around $2 billion, will be earmarked to partially renew the
airlines aging 747 freighter fleet. At the time of making this video, however,
these rumors have yet to materialize. Indeed, the airline neither confirmed nor denied
their intentions when speaking with media, saying: "We continue to invest in and grow
our fleet with the addition of new, state-of-the-art and fuel-efficient aircraft. We have no specific updates or announcements
to make at this time regarding the fleet." While the 777X freighter was a response to the
Airbus A350F, it will be a while before we see the 777XF take to the skies, since Boeing’s
priority is getting the passenger 777-9 into service. The 777X freighter, on the other hand,
is set to be built on the frame of the 777-8. For now, the 777X project has
its work cut out for itself with airlines eagerly waiting
for their new jets to arrive. What do you think of the state of
the 777X program at the moment? And what do you think of the CEO losing
his multi-million dollar bonus due to delays? Could it be a positive sign that the
company chief is unwilling to cut corners and rush progress for his personal profit?
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