Already assembled aircraft are inevitably outdated.
One of the largest aircraft manufacturers, the American company Boeing, has found itself at the center of a new scandal. Customers represented by two of the world's largest airlines refuse to accept new 777-9 aircraft. Airlines have signed contracts for the purchase of hundreds of such airliners, and now they claim that they are only suitable for scrap. Details can be found in the report by REN TV correspondent Pavel Kuznetsov.
Boeing did not have time to launch its new 777 airliner in the ninth modification, as world-renowned carriers began to abandon it. First, Dubai-based Emirates Airline refused, and now German Lufthansa said they were just tired of waiting for what was promised.
The problem lies not only in the long wait, although contracts for the supply of airliners were concluded in the last decade. Boeing has honestly built some of the aircraft, but it still cannot pass the 777-9 certification. Because of this, changes were made to the design, that is, in fact, those already assembled aircraft are outdated. So much so that Emirates Airline advised making tin cans out of them.
It takes billions of dollars to bring such planes to mind. But who should pay? Air carriers? But the liners are built. Or Boeing itself? In July, for example, it was reported that the aviation giant simply sawed up one of the first airliners built for scrap.
The same company, Emirates Airline, ordered a total of 270 new 777 models from Boeing at $440 million apiece. The damage can be calculated.
– You have already spent more than $5 billion. This is an incredible amount when it comes to fleet modernization. Have you asked Boeing to participate and offset some of these costs? – Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, was asked in an interview.
In addition, the US Federal Aviation Administration has demanded an inspection of hundreds of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft already flying around the world due to the risks of cracks in the fuselage. We are talking about almost two thousand planes. This also requires money, so Boeing would really like to find new buyers for the unclaimed, and in fact obsolete, 777 ninth series. The task was not easy.
Boeing has been plagued by a series of scandals in recent years. On January 5, 2024, right in the sky over Portland, the door of the Boeing 737 came off – there were just a few bolts missing from the fastener. Then, during the inspections, it turned out that liquid soap was used as a lubricant for the parts. And in March of the same year, several incidents occurred at once, including an engine catching fire in the sky over Texas.
Whether it's time for Boeing to send an international distress call Mayday is still a rhetorical question. But the damage to the reputation has been enormous. By the way, it is also unclear exactly when the certification of those unclaimed 777s of the ninth model will be completed. The deadline was postponed again to the end of 2026.
