Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has recently confirmed what many in the industry have suspected: the 777-9 variant of Boeing’s 777X widebody twin-jet is significantly behind its originally planned certification schedule. First delivery is now targeted for 2026, a full six years later than what was promised years ago.
What Ortberg Said
Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on September 11, 2025, Ortberg admitted Boeing is “clearly behind our plan in getting the certification done.” He said that despite strong performance of both the aircraft and its engine (the GE Aerospace GE9X), there is still a “mountain of work” remaining in Boeing’s certification path. Boeing has five 777-9s involved in its flight-test program.
Ortberg also said he’s asked Boeing’s CFO, Jay Malave, to assess the impact of the schedule slip and develop a “go-forward plan” to understand how the delays will affect customers, finances, and program forecasts.
Timeline and Origins of Delay
The 777X program was launched in 2013. Service entry for the 777-9 was initially expected around 2020. Over time, delays accumulated due to a combination of technical issues, regulatory hurdles, and more rigorous oversight. One earlier major setback was a grounding of the test fleet in August 2024 after cracks were discovered in a thrust link—the component that connects the GE9X engines to the wing structure. That grounded period lasted several months. The fleet resumed testing in January 2025 after modifications. As of the latest reports, Boeing has logged over 1,500 test flights totaling more than 4,100 flight-hours for the 777-9. These test hours are important for gathering data across varied conditions (weather, weight, altitude).
Regulatory & Certification Challenges
A big part of the delay is obtaining Type Inspection Authorizations (TIAs) from the FAA. These are phased approvals required for specific tests; until each TIA phase is approved, test flights or test data may not count toward final certification. Boeing has only partially secured certain TIA phases. Ortberg emphasized that many of the delays are not due to new technical flaws with the jet or the engine; rather, they are rooted in regulatory processes, supply chain challenges, increased scrutiny, and ensuring every detail meets FAA’s updated or more stringent criteria. Another area of concern is community noise testing—Phase 2D under the TIA regime—and other environmental and operational test plots (like ETOPS, lightning, electromagnetic interference). These must be satisfactorily completed before full certification.
Impact on Boeing, Customers, and Airline Planning
Financial Costs: Delays have already cost Boeing multiple billions of dollars in charges and lost opportunities. Ortberg has warned that even small delays translate to large financial impacts. Customer Plans: Airlines like Lufthansa, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, and others who ordered large numbers of 777-9s are pushing back fleet renewal, delaying retirements of older widebodies, or using interim solutions (bonus or extended leases) while waiting for delivery. Production & Supply Chain: Behind the scenes, Boeing faces pressure from inflation in its supply chain, complexity in manufacturing big composite wings with folding wingtips, and ensuring consistency of parts—especially components that attach heavy engines. These pressures amplify when regulatory scrutiny increases.
What’s Still On Track
First delivery in 2026 remains the target for Boeing, as Ortberg reaffirmed. However, he did not rule out a further slip into 2027 if certain regulatory or inspection parts aren’t completed on schedule. Test flights are ongoing; the test fleet is active. No new technical showstoppers have been announced. The engine (GE9X) is performing well under test flight conditions. Boeing is also simultaneously working on other certification-heavy programs (e.g., the 737-7, 737-10 variants), which adds to the company’s resource constraints. Ortberg says Boeing is trying to balance pushing forward without compromising quality or safety.
Why It Matters
For airlines waiting on 777-9s, delayed deliveries mean higher capital costs (maintaining older aircraft), and potential opportunity losses in routes that could have been served more efficiently with new widebodies.For Boeing, delays can erode trust, increase overhead, risk losing orders, or force contract renegotiations. Buyers may seek compensation or delay plans for launch cabins and service concepts built around the 777-9.Regulators (FAA but also international agencies) may continue to increase scrutiny after several high-profile aviation safety incidents in recent years. That adds time but is also vital to restore confidence in large new aircraft programs.
Final Thoughts
Boeing’s 777-9 / 777X is widely anticipated—for good reason. It offers large capacity, updated systems, folding wingtips, bigger engines, and modern efficiency — all of which appeal to airlines replacing older widebody aircraft. But delivering on that promise is more complicated and slower than many hoped. CEO Kelly Ortberg’s recent comments make clear that while progress is real, the schedule is under serious pressure.
For now, keeping “2026” as the delivery year is an ambitious target. Whether Boeing makes it will depend heavily on FAA approvals, completing all test requirements, avoiding new supply chain or structural surprises, and managing financial and customer expectations along the way.
