SIA sets 2022 date for 777-9 service entry

Singapore Airlines will place the Boeing 777X into service in 2022, updating earlier indications that the carrier would take delivery of the widebody from 2021. SIA CE Goh Choon Phong says at a results briefing that the 2022 timeline takes into account the production issues that currently plague the 777X programme. Boeing has delayed the 777-9’s first flight because of issues with the General Electric GE9X engines that power the variant. In September, the airframer suspended load testing for the widebody programme, reportedly over a cargo door failure. It has also put development of the ultra-long-range 777-8 variant on hold, after reviewing customer needs and development schedules. SIA has 20 777-9s on order, with options for a further six. “Our expectation is that, with all those announcements that have been made up to this point [the aircraft’s entry into service will] still [be] 2022,” Goh says.<br/>