Emirates seeks damages from Boeing over jet delays

Reuters/Abdel Hadi Ramahi

Emirates is seeking compensation from US planemaker Boeing for delays in the delivery of the 777X wide-body aircraft, a news report said.

Boeing has not provided a clear timeline for the delivery of the new 777X jet, Reuters reported, quoting Emirates president Tim Clark.

While the Dubai-headquartered airline is refurbishing many of its existing 777 fleet, Clark said Boeing should bear the cost.

---

---

Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in May called on Boeing’s new management to address technical issues with the 777X aircraft as a matter of urgency.

The airline has an order for 205 jets, which were initially due to be delivered four years ago. It is the largest buyer of the aircraft, which can carry around 400 passengers.

In February, the Federal Aviation Administration said Boeing must make “profound improvements” and address quality issues after a panel blew out of a 737 Max 9 aircraft, which was believed to have been caused by missing bolts.

• Dubai to receive $1bn dividend after record Emirates profits
• Air cargo between Middle East and Europe up by 30%
• Boeing’s ‘negative issues’ are top concern for FlyDubai CEO

This incident followed a previous crisis over two fatal crashes, which resulted in the Max being grounded in 2019 for 20 months, including the 777X.

In November 2023, Emirates announced a $52 billion order for 90 new 777X aircraft. The order is made up of 55 777-9 planes, due to be delivered in 2025, and 35 777-8s, with a delivery date of 2030.

Qatar Airways is close to finalising a split on a wide-body fleet order between Boeing and Airbus, Bloomberg reported.

The carrier plans to order nearly 200 jets, looking at a mix of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777X.

The order is likely to be announced at the Farnborough Air Show in Britain late next month, the news agency said.