Emirates' Clark 'Miffed' At Boeing's Latest 777X Delay

SEVILLE, Spain—Emirates President Tim Clark has described himself as being “a little bit miffed” after learning about Boeing’s latest timeline for the 777X program from the media rather than the manufacturer directly.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed that the airframer will need at least all of 2026 to complete the 777-9's FAA type certification program, pushing projected first deliveries of the long-delayed widebody into 2027.

“I was with them recently, in New York, and before that in Seattle. There was never any hint that they would make an official pronouncement that 2027 was to be the delivery year,” Clark said Oct. 30 on the sidelines of APG World Connect here in Seville. “It was all about getting the certification process done by the middle of next year.”

Emirates has 35 777-8s and 170 777-9s on order, but delivery of the first 777-9 has been deferred multiple times since its planned delivery date in 2020. “The official date for our contract was this month: October 2025,” Clark said, but he had anticipated delivery in the second half of 2026, potentially slipping to spring 2027.

In early 2024, Emirates refroze its interior designs for the 777-9, completely reworking its original specifications since the aircraft had taken so long already.

Recently, all of Emirates’ buyer-furnished equipment suppliers—including seats, inflight entertainment and galleys—have been “busting a gut” to supply the “header version,” or first example, of Emirates’ specific 777-9 design.

“We have a very bespoke interior,” Clark said. “Now what happens is that I don't know when the aircraft's going to be delivered. When you say 2027, do you mean January or December? I'm a little bit miffed. Perhaps they should have told us first that they were officially making the statement that 2027 was the delivery year.”

Clark noted that the U.S. government shutdown has not affected the FAA’s 777-9 certification program. “I'm told the certification process in the FAA continues, even though they're not being paid,” Clark said.

In the meantime, Clark is still pushing “very hard” for a stretched 777X family member, dubbed the 777-10, which would be around 150-in. longer than the 777-9. This would equate to roughly five or six more economy seat rows. Clark is also pushing Airbus for a higher-capacity version of the A350 as Emirates looks for an A380 successor. 

“The 777-10 is at the moment fairly unique to us, but I'm quite sure when others see what we're doing, they'll probably want a bit of that,” Clark added.