Boeing says its 777X orders have fallen by a third following delays in delivery

Boeing narrowed its 777X jets backlog by more than a third after the space giant announced new delays to debut its latest airliner, according to a new securities filing.

The Chicago-based manufacturer said last week that it does not expect the 777X to enter service until the end of 2023, more than two years later than previously expected. Boeing said 777X orders stood at 191 by the end of 2020, up from 309 a year earlier, according to filing Monday.

Boeing routinely removes aircraft from its backlog due to an accounting rule dictating how orders that can be canceled are recorded. Aircraft purchase agreements generally allow customers to cancel orders more easily if aircraft are delayed.

Boeing charged $ 6.5 billion for delays on the 777X in the fourth quarter.

The company has removed hundreds of 737 Max aircraft from its order book under similar accounting rules and outright cancellations. Those narrow-body planes, Boeing’s best-selling jet, are almost flying passengers again grounded for two years after two fatal accidents.

Boeing said last week that additional regulatory oversight of the larger 777X planes following the Max crashes, as well as a weaker appetite for new customer jets during the Covid pandemic, contributed to delays in delivery of the wide-body jetliners.