Request tied to demand and certification delays
:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} has asked the :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} for a waiver from upcoming aircraft emissions rules in order to sell an additional 35 Boeing 777F freighters. The request reflects strong customer demand and delays in certifying Boeing’s next generation cargo aircraft.
The emissions standards are set to take effect in 2028. Boeing said its next generation 777-8 Freighter, which is expected to meet the new limits, will not be ready before that deadline. The company is seeking approval for the waiver by May 1 to bridge the gap until the newer model enters service.
Timing linked to future aircraft deliveries
Boeing has previously indicated that the first 777-8F would be delivered around two years after the initial delivery of the 777-9 passenger jet, which is currently targeted for 2027. Without regulatory relief, the manufacturer warned it would be unable to meet near term demand for large cargo aircraft.
Under rules finalized by the FAA in February 2024 during the administration of :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}, international standards were adopted to cut carbon emissions from most large airplanes operating in U.S. airspace. Aircraft already in service before the rules take effect are not covered.
Economic and trade impact highlighted
Boeing stressed the strategic importance of widebody freighters for global trade. Of the roughly $600 billion in goods exported by air cargo in 2024, more than $260 billion were carried on large widebody freighters, according to the company.
The manufacturer added that each 777F exported to an overseas customer contributes about $440 million in catalog value to the U.S. trade balance. Without an exemption, Boeing estimates that more than $15 billion in export value could be at risk.
Emissions rules and aviation climate goals
Boeing described the 777F as the most fuel efficient aircraft in the global freight market and the only large widebody freighter currently in production. In a related move last year, Congress approved legislation allowing Boeing to keep producing its 767 freighter through 2033, exempting it from the same efficiency rules.
According to the FAA, civil aviation accounts for about 9% of domestic transportation emissions and roughly 2% of total U.S. carbon pollution. The United States has set a goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector by 2050.
