Sources: United Airlines May Scoop Up The Early Boeing 777Xs Rejected By Emirates

Published Jul 24, 2026, 5:23 PM EDT Journalist - Aaron joins the Simple Flying team with 14 years of experience in the travel & tourism industry. He has a background in airports and travel consulting for global companies in New Zealand, Europe, and North America. An Avid traveler, Aaron has visited 52+ countries across five continents. Based in Canterbury, New Zealand Emirates, the largest single customer of the Boeing 777X rejected the delivery of the first 10 airframes due to extensive rework that would be needed to bring them up to current standards. These planes have been parked for many years, leading to the Middle Eastern carrier standing its ground. This has led to US carrier United Airlines to consider buying the airfames, according to multiple reports. United is yet to order the 777X, and it follows all other US carriers who are yet to commit to the new Boeing airframe. The new plane has been plagued with several delivery delays; however, it may be that United decides to take on the responsibility of these orphaned airframes from Emirates. Regulatory Changes Have Forced Reworks To The Earlier Models Credit: Shutterstock The type's delivery has been plagued by several reworks required for the game-changing aircraft. Several 777-9 aircraft were built in advance, hoping for certification; however, this was before the 737 MAX crisis, which otherwise put 777X development into a snail's pace. It was hoped that the 777X would enter service as early as 2020, meaning that the largest customer, Emirates, would already have these delivered and be part of its global network. The 777X, alongside the 787 and A350, is widely tipped to be the gradual replacement for Emirates' A380 fleet. Due to the 737 MAX crisis, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) placed intense scrutiny on Boeing, and its findings raised questions about the 777X and other aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). Following these developments, the 777X has faced repeated delays, and the launch date continues to be postponed. Emirates Is Not Interested In The First 777X Credit: Emirates The first of many frames built for Emirates has been rejected by the carrier's President Tim Clark. He noted that these planes are already at their half-life for the Dubai-based airline, and the carrier maintains strict standards for aircraft before they are allowed to enter service. The number of modifications that would be required to make these planes certifiable would deem them 'no use to anybody,' claimed Clark. He compared the planes to that of a can of baked beans. This has led United to sniff around the orphaned aircraft. While United is yet to order the type, the US carrier may be considering the first of these 20 early-build 777-9 variants as an opportunity to expand its widebody fleet, and potentially pounce on Boeing with a bargain offer. United's existing widebody fleet is currently made up of all-Boeing aircraft, according to ch-aviation. Aircraft Type Number Active Number On Order Boeing 767-300ER 37 - Boeing 767-400ER 16 - Boeing 777-200/-200ER 63 - Boeing 777-300ER 22 - Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner 21 56 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 54 76 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner 12 - Airbus A350-900 - 45 Deliveries for the airline's widebody Airbus debut are also delayed as a $175 million legal dispute with the engine Rolls-Royce continues. Will United Purchase These Aircraft? Credit: Shutterstock With Emirates confirming it will not accept the first 11 777X builds, it will mean that United could acquire the first batch of 777X, according to DJ's Aviation and Leeham News and Analysis. This would see United become the US launch customer for the type, and since the planes are already built, it could mean that the planes are put into service rather quickly. US carriers realistically have not shown much of an interest in the type due to the dimensions and capacity size exceeding the demand of the Big Three's existing hub-and-spoke network. These planes are the successor to the 747 and A380, which no US carrier currently operates (and the A380 has never been operated by a US carrier for that matter). While United is yet to confirm whether it will purchase these initial airframes, it could mark a strategic shift for the Chicago-based airline, and a way to bargain with Boeing, which will be desperate to move these aircraft on. Where United could fly these aircraft is another question.