The Boeing 737 MAX situation is not the only problem that Boeing is facing this year, with the grounded airliner now being planned for re-entry into service in this last quarter.

Boeing 777X entry into service delayed

A much-awaited project, the Boeing 777X, which was supposed to be doing its first flight in June 2019, also got postponed due to various issues with the engine developed for the 777X. The engine issue moved the timeline by about six months, and then, there was another issued, when during a test, a door blew off during a stress test of the aircraft.

The first flight has been pushed into early-2020, obviously moving back the timeline for delivery to customers as well, tentatively to mid-2020. Goes without saying the customers are annoyed. Boeing indicated early this year that schedules might slip.

Now, Boeing has finally announced during their third-quarter earnings, that they don’t expect the first 777X delivery to happen before 2021. With over 300 aircraft already ordered, the 777X will be a bigger version of the 777 plane when it would be launched and would have come in two variants, the 777-8 and 777-9. Customers of the aircraft include all marquee names such as Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, ANA and Singapore Airlines. Emirates is examining its order and perhaps might revisit it during or before the upcoming Dubai Airshow.

Boeing to cut down 787 production

As per Boeing, they are going to cut down the production of the 787s to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020, from the current production rate of 14 airplanes. As per Boeing, this is due to the current global trade environment, hinting at the trade tensions between the USA and China at the moment.

As per Leeham News, Boeing raised the production rate in anticipation of orders from China, but these orders have been frozen since 2017.

Bottomline

Boeing is in the centre of a storm right now, with multiple things not going for them as per plan. Yesterday, they let go off the CEO of the Commercial Airplanes division as well. We will see how this goes from here.

 How do you think all of these moves will affect Boeing’s future as an aviation company?