A350 & 777X Facing New Delays?

追加: 2026-06-02

[00:00:04]Boeing and Airbus' next generation freighters in the 777-8F and the A350F are both equally facing a bit of turbulence as progress is made on their launch. As supply chain niggles and certification looms for both of these aircraft, you need to have the systems right across the industry to ensure that they are able to go. However, those systems I speak about are increasingly becoming more stretched and there's a consensus that breaking point could very well be reached. With that in mind and the expected delivery of these new freighters approaching all the while still being up in the air, cargo operators that have bought these planes already are now being forced to rethink their short to medium-term approach.

[00:00:44]Boeing's 777-8F was initially pitched to launch as soon as next year. However, its launch has and will always be directly tied to the release of the 777-9. This is the first iteration in the broader 777X program and a passenger jet. Unfortunately, the 777-9 now stands 6 years behind the initially promised EIS date and Boeing doesn't expect to see first deliveries of the aircraft until 2027 with certification hopefully expected in the next 12 months and for that it has been progressing well with. What happens with however the 777-9 directly impacts the freighter model and even the smaller less popular 777-8.

[00:01:23]As quality issues, certification hurdles, and even labor disputes have mounted in recent years, timelines have slipped and what can turn into a 2 to 3 month delay very easily balloons into 6 years before we know it. Not without airlines however and cargo operators feeling the pinch and making their opinions heard. FreightWaves has already reported that Boeing doesn't now obviously expect to meet the 2027 deadline for the 777-8F which is understandable if the 777-9F were only coming out next year. However, a 2028 debut has been penciled in for this freighter for the moment, though inklings of other customers preparing for delays is something we have heard over the last 12 to 18 months. You can't take this for fact, however, you can at the very least take it in as operators are probably a little bit sensitive to the launch of new aircraft types. There is very rarely any aircraft that is able to launch completely on time, whether that is because missteps taken at the production table or the building of the aircraft or nowadays you've got to consider a completely redefined certification process for aircraft with now a finer comb going over the small details to ensure these planes are safe.

[00:02:33]Reported by The Loadstar, Cargolux, who you may know as a key customer of the 777-8 are bidding big on the order that they have for the jet in order to revamp their freight fleet. However, they are expected to take on the plane in 2029.

[00:02:48]That is from the 2027 delivery point that they had initially expected when they signed for the planes. A 2029 debut is per the chief executive in new comments. They will form some of the early adopters of this freighter aircraft, but as I continue to say, this is very much reliant on the 777-9, but it'd be silly of me not to also mention that the certification of the -8F rests on this aircraft in its own. Sure, there is a lot of commonality across the program, but this is a freighter that stands on its own at the end of the day as its own aircraft and its own modifications that separates it from the -9. Over at Airbus, they're countering that 777-8F with the A350F, an offshoot from the obvious A350 family. This model has been launched to compete with, no horror here, Boeing to disrupt a sector where the American plane maker, as as we know, enjoyed a lot of success. However, and I'd argue the bigger point here is it's gone largely uncontested. So, how can Airbus shake that up as it knows jets like the 747F, even 777Fs and other large freighters that are in circulation are going to be in need of replacing if these operators are to meet efficiency targets. On top of that, naturally these planes will eventually come to the end of their life and Airbus wants that A350F to be pitched to these customers in order to have an attractive alternative that has been proven on a certified base. Customers have already flocked in to both committing to the planes without either having operated a first flight. However, despite progress in production testing to get the jet airborne, this is the 350F by the end of this year. Concerns do certainly remain.

[00:04:27]Airbus reportedly spoke with airlines only in the last couple of weeks and informed them that they should expect further delays to their A350 deliveries through the end of the decade. Now, key here is airlines. It's obviously a blow after years of existing supply chains and a backlog that is ballooning out.

[00:04:43]However, the devil is in the detail.

[00:04:45]Much of the focus was yes on airlines expecting their passenger A350s.

[00:04:50]However, the freighter program also received a bit of an update. There are new supply chain concerns that are emerging out of Spain and it centers on the cargo door manufacturing. Now, a critical element of the plane, that's not something you can simply go without if there are really any parts. So, for the moment, no delay to the launch time frame. There is a hopeful delivery of the A350F for 2027.

[00:05:14]The first flight would occur before the end of this year and therefore it would be ready to get into market even with delay that we'd seen in the last 12 to 18 months. As for its competitor, the 777-8F, you'd probably argue that this is a lot more up in the air. No pun intended as it's not technically up in the air, but I'm sure as you can imagine there are so many other essentially blockages before this freighter is going to get into the skies and that's not even factoring in the test flight phases of the -8F in itself. That's at least within its control, the 777-9 certification, not so much for that aircraft individually. I'd love to hear your opinion on these two next generation freighters that we are very soon going to see begin deliveries.

[00:05:58]However, whether they are able to stick to those new time frames that have been put forward remains to be seen.

[00:06:03]Obviously, some cargo operators are a little bit hesitant to fully plan around the arrival because more often than not, the arrival of these aircraft means that older planes are going to depart. And simply put, they can't remove these older planes if the new ones are not going to come in. Yes, airlines have the same problem, but for cargo operators, you'd argue it's even more sensitive.

[00:06:25]Thanks again for watching, and I'll see you back here very soon. The world outside.

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