Emirates calculates that it will incorporate only between three and five Boeing 777-9 aircraft over the course of the next year and, at most, double that in 2028, while the manufacturer continues with flight tests for the certification of this model and maintains, for now, its roadmap to make the first delivery in 2027.
That is what its president, Tim Clark, has explained at a press conference collected by "Bloomberg". Shortages of components and problems in the certification process have caused the Boeing 777-9 to already accumulate at least six years of delay compared to the original schedule envisaged for its entry into service.
Emirates is the main customer of this aircraft, which it needs in order to keep renewing its oldest fleet, among which is the Airbus A380, whose production has already been halted.
The Boeing 777-9 will offer fuel consumption and emissions that are 20% lower, as well as an acoustic footprint that is 40% lower than that of the aircraft it will replace, along with operating costs that are 10% lower than those of its rivals.
Clark also indicated that the airline keeps on its books an order for 35 units of the smaller model, the Boeing 787, and that it will make a decision on whether it continues with that commitment in the next two months, depending on how the 777-9 delivery schedule evolves from Boeing.
"If we decide to buy them, I’m not sure Boeing will be able to deliver them to us until the early part of the 2030s," he said regarding the 787, also lamenting that "they have a huge backlog."