Boeing (BOE, Washington National) has halted production of its B777-200Fs for nearly two months amid a dispute with wing component supplier Vaero, Reuters reported on October 23, 2026, citing employees familiar with the matter.
Boeing is seeking to bring production of the trailing-edge rib kits, which the Florida-based company supplies for its B777-200F and B767 wing assembly lines, in-house. The shortage forced Boeing to remove two partially assembled B777-200Fs from its final assembly line, one of them reportedly destined for FedEx Express, according to the report.
However, Boeing could still deliver several aircraft with wings assembled before the dispute by year-end, on top of the twenty-one B777-200Fs it has handed over so far in 2026. ch-aviation data shows the OEM delivered seven B777-200Fs to Emirates, four to National Airlines, three to China Cargo Airlines, two to MSC Air, and one each to Air China Cargo, Qatar Airways, Silk Way West Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.
Beyond the B777X programme, whose composite wings leave it unaffected, the disruption has also hit B767-300F and B767-2C(KC-46A) production, although some components have since arrived for that line.
As previously reported by ch-aviation, Boeing secured a three-year exemption from US fuel-efficiency requirements in September. It allows up to 35 new-build B777Fs to receive their first airworthiness certificates between January 1, 2028, and January 1, 2031.
The manufacturer had 38 unfilled B777F orders as of September, including seven for FedEx, as well as nine B767-300Fs, one for UPS Airlines, and the rest for an unidentified customer.
