Emirates will reject some of Boeing's earliest 777-9s, Clark says

Clark said at Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt that Emirates told Boeing about three years ago it would reject its earliest production 777X aircraft, and that the decision was documented well before it became public. He said the aircraft would need extensive modifications to meet current standards and that Emirates would accept only newly manufactured jets.

“It was absolutely clear we will not take these in. And that our new aircraft will be newly built,” Clark said. “The fact was clear; it was documented.” He said he was “quite shocked” at the attention the rejection drew in July, which he considered old news.

The decision affects some of the earliest 777-9s built for Emirates, part of an initial production batch of about 20 aircraft that have spent years awaiting certification and delivery, Aviation Week reported. Clark said the first aircraft in that batch was built in July 2019, before later certification and production changes. Emirates wanted jets built under Boeing's newer production and quality-control processes rather than jets assembled before later program changes.

Asked what would happen to the rejected aircraft, Clark said that was Boeing's responsibility. “Whether they can revamp them, offer them at this kind of price is up to Boeing,” he said. The situation recalls Boeing's early 787s, known as the “Terrible Teens,” which required extensive modifications and were heavier than later examples, prompting some customers to reject them and Boeing to find alternative operators, often at substantial discounts.

Order book and schedule

Emirates is the largest 777X customer. It originally committed to 150 aircraft at the November 2013 Dubai Airshow, comprising 115 777-9s and 35 777-8s, with deliveries initially planned to begin in 2020. At the 2023 Dubai Airshow it ordered another 90 777Xs while adjusting its existing order, bringing the total to 205, and in November 2025 it ordered a further 65 777-9s. The backlog stands at 235 777-9s and 35 777-8s, or 270 aircraft, according to Aviation Week Fleet Discovery data. That compares with 124 aircraft for Qatar Airways, according to Aerospace Global News.

Emirates expects its first 777-9s in 2027, seven years later than originally planned. Clark told Reuters at the Berlin Airshow that the airline would have the aircraft by June 2027, with a chance it could arrive as early as May. Boeing moved its 777-9 certification timeline in October 2025 and said it expected first delivery in 2027, taking a US$4.9 billion pre-tax charge on the programme, Airways Magazine reported.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford has since suggested that 777X certification would follow the 737 MAX 7 and MAX 10 into 2027, according to the same report. Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg has attributed the shift to certification delays rather than a newly discovered technical problem. The 777X was originally expected to enter service in 2020; a 2027 certification and delivery window would make the programme roughly seven years late against that target. Reuters previously reported that the move to early 2027 put the programme about 14 years after its 2013 launch.

On the certification path, Boeing has been granted permission for TIA Phase 4B, with the smaller Phase 5 still to come, according to Dj's Aviation. ETOPS and reliability testing remain ahead of handover. Airways Magazine noted the risk is not simply another date change but a compression of the handover, training, induction and service-entry timeline.

What Emirates is flying while it waits

While it waits, Emirates is extending the service lives of its Airbus A380s and 777-300ERs, supported by a cabin refurbishment programme. It is also taking Airbus A350-900s to plug the gap, MiGFlug reported. Clark said the rejection would not affect Emirates' network plans, Aviation Week reported.