While the Boeing 777X has seen delay after delay, the US plane maker is growing in confidence that the first delivery is getting nearer. Double digits of 777Xs have now been built, but the aircraft won’t be delivered in the order of construction.
The first Boeing 777X is currently due to be delivered to Lufthansa in 2027. Simple Flying sat down with Darren Hulst, Vice President of Commercial Marketing at 
Boeing, on the sidelines of the 
Dubai Airshow 2025 to discuss the state of the Boeing 777X program.
The Oldest Boeing 777Xs Won’t Be Delivered First
Boeing had intended to deliver the first 777Xs five years ago in 2020. As such, at the time of the aircraft’s first flight, construction had already begun on aircraft due to be delivered to customers. Aircraft age is typically measured from the first flight. This means that these aircraft technically have an age of zero years, though their fuselages are over five years old.
Speaking to Simple Flying, Hulst remarked that these aircraft won’t be the first to be delivered to airlines around the world. These aircraft were built to the original 777X specifications, which have changed over the past five years. Instead, newer aircraft that were built to the current specifications will be delivered first, while these older planes undergo modifications.
Hulst remarked:
“We are producing 777Xs today. In fact, some of the airplanes that we’re building today will be the first to actually deliver because they’re up to the new production standard. Some of the airplanes that we’ve built in the past or have already built will go through some change incorporation to make sure they’re all with the delivery standard or the certification standard. And that will kind of feather through the next few years.”
How Many 777Xs Are For Fleet Expansion & Replacement?
During the airshow, Hulst presented a market update where he revealed that just 30% of new aircraft expected to be delivered to the Middle East are for replacing aging aircraft. The other 70% will be for airline growth. However, this picture changes slightly for the Boeing 777X family.
Hulst told Simple Flying that around 50% of Boeing 777X deliveries to the region will be for growth, with the other 50% aimed at replacing older aircraft. Interestingly, two-thirds of all Boeing 777X orders are for customers based in so-called “harsh environments” such as the Dubai desert.
On this, Hulst remarked:
“I would say for the 777X, more of the market is for replacement, so more like 50-50. Whereas for the 787 and 737, that’s where you get towards the 70% growth…”
Boeing Will Deliver 3-5 777Xs Per Month After Certification
Speaking about 777X deliveries, Hulst remarked that he expects to see thick and fast deliveries once they get going. However, he also remarks that this number should grow in the longer term. Elaborating on the point, Hulst explained:
Our initial production rates are three to five airplanes a month. And so I think what you’ll see is kind of balanced deliveries between [Middle East Airlines], but also the Lufthansas and the British Airwayses. And each of those delivery streams is unique based on when the contracts were and what they need to actually replace or grow with. But in general, I think you’re looking at, in the near term, five airplanes a month. And I think longer term, probably a number that could be higher.
Of course, the question of who will take the first Boeing 777X remains. 
Lufthansa has traditionally been considered to be the type’s launch customer. However, at the 2022 Farnborough Airshow, Akbar Al Baker, then CEO of Qatar Airways, said that he would get the first 777X. It seems that Lufthansa has held onto its position at the launch customer. However, given the expected pace of 777X deliveries, the launch customer won’t hold 777X exclusivity for long, with Hulst telling Simple Flying:
“It is all honestly very, very close together. So between the first operator and the second and the third is only going to be a matter of weeks or months.”
