DUBLIN (Reuters) – The executive chairman of Air Lease Corp said on Monday that Boeing’s delayed 777X wide-body jet programme could be at risk due to regulatory problems and delays.
The U.S. planemaker said last month it was delaying first delivery of the world’s largest twin-engine passenger plane to 2025 following certification and other delays.
Asked if he saw risks to the programme from the delays, which leave the estimated introduciton five years behind an original goal of 2020, Air Lease founder and Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy told the Airline Economics conference, “yes”.
Asked if he thought it was possible that the whole program could be cancelled, the aircraft leasing veteran said that would depend on what the Boeing board looks like in 18 to 24 months.
“What I’m saying is that those decisions whether to continue with the programme or not continue it will probably not be made by this board of directors anyway,” Udvar-Hazy told the conference in Dublin.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin, Editing by Tim Hepher)
