Boeing 777X delivery delay to 2027 ripples through aerospace metals supply chain

Boeing 777X

The Boeing 777X delivery delay to 2027 deepens uncertainty for airlines, suppliers and titanium scrap markets. Boeing pushed its first 777-9 handover back by a year, triggering a $4.9bn charge and another reset for the flagship widebody. As a result, the Boeing 777X delivery delay directly affects the aerospace titanium cycle, as the model is estimated to contain up to 20pc titanium by weight.

Certification setbacks reshape Boeing 777X delivery delay

The latest Boeing 777X delivery delay stems from slower-than-expected certification progress with the US Federal Aviation Administration. Boeing had expected type inspection authorisation in the third quarter but underestimated the scale of data and analysis the FAA required. Therefore, the company revised its production plans to limit pre-certification aircraft and align output with a more conservative, long-term schedule.

The $4.9bn charge mainly reflects penalties to airlines and higher unit costs from a slower ramp. However, the revised schedule also means extended inventory overhangs for titanium and other critical materials tied to the program. For titanium scrap suppliers, the Boeing 777X delivery delay prolongs weak spot demand and keeps pressure on prices that were already soft after earlier build-rate cuts.

Boeing will now send an updated production timetable to its vendors and negotiate adjustments case by case. Depending on each commodity, the impact may range from modest to significant, especially for high-value aerospace metals. Meanwhile, mills and scrap processors must recalibrate melt schedules and inventory strategies around a longer runway to meaningful 777X volume.

Single-aisle and 787 ramp offer partial offset

While the 777X stalls, Boeing’s narrowbody and mid-size widebody programs continue to climb. The FAA has lifted the 737 MAX output cap to 42 aircraft a month, up from 38, with Boeing targeting that rate by year-end. As a result, rising 737 MAX build rates will absorb more aluminium, titanium and nickel-based alloys, partly offsetting softness from the Boeing 777X delivery delay.

On the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing plans to exit the year at eight aircraft a month and reach 10 a month in 2026. However, the company warns that tighter inventory and seat certification issues could constrain the ramp. Even so, combined 737 MAX and 787 output, plus a 5,900-aircraft commercial backlog worth $535bn, underpins a multi-year demand floor for aerospace metals.

Boeing’s third-quarter losses narrowed to $5bn from $6bn a year earlier, while revenue rose 30pc to $23bn. Still, the Boeing 777X delivery delay highlights how certification risk can reshape earnings and capital allocation, with knock-on effects across engine makers, forgings, castings and metal supply chains.

The Metalnomist Commentary

The 777X remains Boeing’s most titanium-intensive platform, so each slip in its delivery profile matters for scrap and mill flows. For metals suppliers, resilience will depend on shifting focus toward single-aisle and 787 content while keeping optionality for a later 777X ramp. The broader lesson is clear: certification timelines are now a core variable in forecasting aerospace metals demand, not a background assumption.