Lufthansa says it still expects first Boeing 777X in 2027 despite long delays

Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr says he remains confident the airline will receive its first Boeing 777X in 2027, even as the long-delayed programme continues to face certification hurdles. The German airline is set to be the launch customer for the aircraft, which was originally expected to enter service years earlier. According to Simple Flying, Lufthansa is maintaining a cautious sense of optimism while Boeing continues to work through the regulatory steps needed before delivery.

Photo by Dan Nevill

The Boeing 777X programme is the US manufacturer’s newest widebody family and includes the 777-9, a larger and more efficient successor to the 777-300ER. Boeing says the aircraft is designed to reduce fuel use and emissions by 20% compared with the jets it replaces, while also lowering operating costs and cutting noise. The aircraft’s most distinctive feature is its folding wingtips, which allow it to improve aerodynamic efficiency in flight while still fitting into existing airport gate infrastructure.

Lufthansa Boeing 777X

Lufthansa has tied an important part of its long-haul fleet renewal strategy to the arrival of the 777-9. In its latest investor materials, published on 6 March 2026, Lufthansa Group indicated that the aircraft is still expected to begin joining the fleet from 2027. That supports the view highlighted by Simple Flying that the airline has not abandoned that target.

The outlook remains dependent on Boeing hitting crucial certification and production milestones. Earlier reporting, including Reuters-based coverage carried by RTÉ, said Boeing had pushed first 777X deliveries back to 2027 because of certification delays, while the company took a multibillion-dollar charge linked to the programme. Boeing has said the delay is tied to the certification process rather than to a newly identified technical issue.

That position was also reflected in reporting by the Associated Press, which said Boeing moved the first delivery date to 2027 and cited chief executive Kelly Ortberg as saying the manufacturer still had significant work to complete before the aircraft could enter service.

For Lufthansa, the delay matters because the 777X is intended to play a central role in modernising its long-haul operation. Until then, the airline continues to rely on older aircraft for part of its intercontinental network while it waits for newer widebody jets to arrive. The company’s fleet planning material underlines how important next-generation aircraft remain to its future strategy.

For now, Lufthansa’s message appears to be one of patience rather than certainty. The airline is still preparing for the Boeing 777X to arrive in 2027 but only if Boeing can clear the remaining certification hurdles and finally bring one of commercial aviation’s most delayed widebody programmes into service.