Boeing says 777X delays add costs for airlines like SIA to keep older jets

[SINGAPORE] Boeing on Wednesday (Feb 4) acknowledged that delays to its flagship 777X programme are compelling major customers, which include Singapore’s national carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) , to incur unplanned costs to keep older jets in their fleets.

This comes even as the American aerospace giant projects that the number of aircraft in South-east Asia will triple over the next two decades.

Deliveries for Boeing’s 777X airliner range, its upcoming flagship, have been delayed from 2020 to 2027 due to numerous development challenges and prolonged regulatory certification. The jet is set to launch with Germany’s Lufthansa, while Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and UAE’s Emirates are also key customers.

These delays are forcing airlines to adjust retirement dates for older aircraft or even invest in “near-term” modifications to the interiors of these older jets, said Darren Hulst, Boeing’s vice-president of commercial marketing, in comments to the media at the Singapore Airshow 2026.

The airshow is being held from Feb 3 to 8 at the Changi Exhibition Centre, with over 1,000 companies involved.

“SIA has built flexibility into our fleet plans, including retaining Boeing 777-300ERs and where appropriate, operating other suitable existing aircraft to mitigate the impact of the Boeing 777-9 delivery deferrals,” said an SIA spokeperson in response to The Business Times’ queries.

When asked if Boeing would compensate SIA – which has ordered 31 of the new 777-9 planes – for the delays, Hulst declined to comment citing confidentiality, but stated broadly that Boeing’s goal is “to make sure we make it right with (our customers)”.

SIA added that it continued to “work closely with Boeing to finalise the delivery timeline for the Boeing 777-9s”, but declined to comment on any financial impact of the delays or compensation from Boeing.

At least three 777-9s meant for SIA have already been built. However, Hulst cautioned that there could be some additional time until delivery even after certification, due to reworks needed to bring the airframes up to a final production standard.

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SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong in November said that he did not expect the delays to have “any major impact” on the national carrier.

Boeing’s Hulst also admitted that its production timelines could have played a part in SIA’s choice of its future freighter fleet.

SIA, a long-time operator of Boeing 747 freighters for decades, switched to rival Airbus in 2022 by finalising a purchase agreement for the A350F instead of Boeing’s 777-8F. It will also be the launch customer of the Airbus freighter.

“Timelines probably could have had a role in it,” Hulst said regarding the loss. However, he maintained that Boeing still sees “an opportunity for the 777-8F to be the long-term solution for Singapore Airlines” in the future. 

“Our selection of the Airbus A350F... was based on a comprehensive evaluation of long-term operational, technical and commercial requirements,” said the SIA spokeperson.

CEO Goh had told FlightGlobal in 2022 that the carrier had been looking at the renewal of its 747 freighters, but had – until then – lacked an available and effective alternative. He also said the flag carrier had worked with Airbus on the A350F’s development.

Despite these supply chain struggles, Boeing remains bullish on the region’s macro outlook. It projects South-east Asia’s fleet will grow from about 1,500 aircraft today to 5,000 by 2044 – of which about 19 per cent of planes will be widebodies like the 777X.

The growth will be driven by a doubling of the middle class and 7 per cent annual traffic growth – the fastest in the world.