Emirates blasts Boeing for delays, plans 'serious conversations'

Emirates, the world's largest international airline and a major buyer of Boeing Co. widebody aircraft, said it will have 'serious conversations' with the US planemaker in coming months following an announcement that the 777X model will be delayed yet again.

"Emirates has had to make significant and highly expensive amendments to our fleet programmes as a result of Boeing's multiple contractual shortfalls," President Tim Clark said in a statement, adding that given Boeing's current situation "I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates."

The tersely worded statement highlights the growing frustration among airline customers who have waited for years to get the aircraft they've ordered, only to see promised deadlines slip again. Boeing said late on Friday that first delivery of its largest widebody model will be delayed to 2026, more than five years after the giant plane was originally set to reach customers.

Aircraft delays and a shortfall in deliveries have become a broader issue across the industry that's also afflicting Airbus SE. As a result, airlines are being forced to fly older aircraft for longer, often retrofitting them with new interiors and other upgrades at considerable expense.

Emirates has built its fleet around two main models: the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380 double-decker. With Boeing's next-generation model of that plane delayed and Airbus ending production of the A380, Clark has been forced to extend the existing jets' lifespan by putting them through an extensive and expensive retrofit program.

Clark already said in July at the Farnborough Airshow that he didn't predict the 777X to enter commercial service before 2026. Boeing was forced to suspend some flight tests on the plane a few weeks ago after discovering cracks in the so-called thrust link connecting the hulking engines to the wing.