Lufthansa weighs slowing deliveries of 777X in blow to Boeing

Lufthansa is considering stretching out deliveries of Boeing’s new 777X aircraft, concerned about the cost and size of the big jet as managers review the airline’s fleet needs. A decision on the new timeline is “urgent” and could be reached by September, according to an internal video presentation by Lufthansa Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr. The German airline may take additional Airbus SE A350 planes, which carry fewer passengers than the 400-seat Boeing jet. “I’m not sure if we’ve really ordered enough A350s and possibly too many 777Xs,” Spohr said at a staff meeting. “We must now think about either stretching the 777X in a deal with Boeing to let them come in more slowly, or increasing profitability to finance our overdue fleet investments.” The move would be a blow to Boeing, which signed up Lufthansa as a launch customer for the 777X. The company has a backlog for the model worth about $125b at list prices, with orders concentrated among airlines that have hit market turbulence recently. <br/>