Emirates Told Boeing Years Ago It Would Reject Early 777Xs, Clark Says | Aviation Week

Emirates’ president Tim Clark said the airline told Boeing about three years ago that it would reject its earliest production 777X aircraft, arguing the decision was documented before the controversy became public. Speaking at Routes World 2026 in Frankfurt, Clark said the earliest 777-9 airframes would need extensive modifications to meet current standards and that Emirates would only accept newly manufactured jets built under Boeing’s newer production and quality-control “regime.” He added that the fate of the rejected aircraft is Boeing’s responsibility, including whether Boeing could revamp them or offer them at a price. Clark cited parallels to Boeing’s early 787 “Terrible Teens” issues. Emirates remains the 777X’s largest customer, with a backlog of 235 777-9s and 35 777-8s.