Emirates Bakes on Boeing 777-9 Deal
Emirates Airline has announced that it will not be taking delivery of the first ten Boeing 777-9 aircraft, citing design changes and a static test failure in 2019. The airline's president, Sir Tim Clark, stated that the modifications to the airframe have been so significant since the early flights that the first ones off the line bear diminishing resemblance to what will eventually be certified.
The incident occurred in September 2019 when a 777X airframe undergoing ground stress testing at Everett failed at around 99 percent of ultimate load. The aluminium skin under the centre fuselage buckled and ruptured, causing the cabin to explosively depressurize and a passenger door to depart the aircraft.
One of the ten Boeing 777-9s has already been scrapped, with Boeing disassembling it in late summer 2025 due to the economics not adding up. Clark suggested that Heinz, the food manufacturer, might be interested in purchasing the aircraft, comparing them to baked bean cans.