To accommodate production of its new airliner, Boeing doubled the size of the Everett factory at the cost of nearly US$1.5 billion (~$2.93 billion in 2024) to provide space for two new assembly lines. An agreement between Boeing and the Japan Aircraft Development Corporation, representing Japanese aerospace contractors, made the latter risk-sharing partners for 20 percent of the entire development program. International contributors included Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (fuselage panels), Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (center wing section), Hawker de Havilland (elevators), and Aerospace Technologies of Australia (rudder). At 242.4 ft (73.9 m) in length, the -300 became the longest airliner yet produced (until the A ), and had a 20 percent greater overall capacity than the standard length model. The first commercial flight took place on June 7, 1995, from London Heathrow Airport to Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. Longer ETOPS clearance of 207 minutes was approved in October 1996.a
The 777 Freighter (777F) is an all-cargo variant which shares several features with the -200LR, including its airframe, engines, and fuel capacity. Nine different -200 customers have taken delivery of 88 aircraft, with 55 in airline service as of 2018update. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aircraft type designator system adds a preceding manufacturer letter, in this case “B” for Boeing, hence “B772” or “B773”. With the launch of the 777X in 2013, Boeing confirmed that the aircraft would be receiving a new interior featuring 787 cabin elements and larger windows. This helps reduce weight and simplifies the aircraft’s braking and hydraulic systems.
Under ETOPS rules, airlines began operating the 767 on long-distance overseas routes that did not require the capacity of larger airliners. These regulations allowed twin-engine airliners to make ocean crossings at up to three hours distance from emergency diversionary airports. The mid-size 757 and 767 launched to market success, due in part to 1980s’ extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards (ETOPS) regulations governing transoceanic twinjet operations. These have since been known as 777 Classics and were powered by 77,200–98,000 lbf (343–436 kN) General Electric GE90, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines. The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long-range wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Cairo International AirportBuilding No. 1 – Hall No. 3
The Award-Winning Boeing 777 Signature Experience
Smaller folding wingtips of 11 feet (3.35 m) in length will allow 777X models to use the same airport gates and taxiways as earlier 777s. The airframe incorporates the use of composite materials, accounting for nine percent of the original structural weight, while the third-generation models, the and 777-9, feature more composite parts. Boeing was also redesigning the inboard flap fairings to reduce drag by reducing pressure on the underside of the wing. More changes were targeted for late 2012, including possible extension of the wingspan, along with other major changes, including a composite wing, a new generation engine, and different fuselage lengths.
Airlines have only begun to capitalize on demand for point-to-point service in intercontinental markets. Airlines gain the utmost flexibility to match cabin configuration to their business strategy and market requirements. The dynamic LED colored lighting creates a unique ambiance during various phases of flight, thoughtfully balanced for leisure, work, or rest. Passengers relax during the flight, secure in the knowledge that their personal belongings are stowed nearby. The 777 also won Business Traveler magazine’s ‘Best Aircraft Type’ recognition three years in a row.
Design Highlights
With a 545,000 lb (247 t) MTOW and 77,000 lbf (340 kN) engines, it has a range of 5,240 nautical miles (9,700 km; 6,030 mi) with 305 passenger seats in a three-class configuration. Located above the main cabin and connected via staircases, the forward flight crew rest contains two seats and two bunks, while the aft cabin crew rest features multiple bunks. Folding wingtips, 21 feet (6.40 m) long, were offered when the 777 was first launched, to appeal to airlines who might use gates made to accommodate smaller aircraft, but no airline purchased this option. The wings on the 777 feature a supercritical airfoil design that is swept back at 31.6 degrees and optimized for cruising at Mach 0.83 (revised after flight tests up to Mach 0.84). In designing the 777 as its first fly-by-wire commercial aircraft, Boeing decided to retain conventional control yokes rather than change to sidestick controllers as used in many fly-by-wire fighter aircraft and in many Airbus airliners. These changes were to increase fuel efficiency and allow airlines to add 14 additional seats to the airplane, increasing per seat fuel efficiency by 5%.
Because weight is the main driver of fuel consumption, maintenance costs, and landing and navigation fees, operators can expect low costs on every 777 trip and for every passenger- mile. The high degree of commonality among all 777 models gives airlines the opportunity to minimize spares, equipment, and training costs. In late 2011, the new- generation 777s with GE engines received type-design approval from the FAA for ETOPS up to 330 minutes. The ability to carry revenue cargo with a full passenger load gives airlines the flexibility to negotiate long-term contracts for time-definite shipments.
The latest 777 models can be equipped with an innovative LED lighting system that can vary the intensity and hue of illumination to harmonize with the level of activity in the cabin. There’s no need to scramble for stowage space when passengers are confident that they will find room for carry-on luggage close at hand. Business executives who travel frequently, averaging more than 38 airplane trips a year select the Leading Edge award winners.
Testing and certification
- When we talk about game-changing planes in the skies, the Boeing 777 often tops the list.
- With growing market demand and rapid technological advancements, the 777 is evolving to stay ahead of the game.
- By late 2019, it should be joined in the flight program by the other four prototypes which were undergoing assembly.
The aircraft was evacuated with no injuries, and airport fire teams extinguished the fire. The main purpose has been for VIP transport, including as an air transport for heads of state, although the aircraft has also been proposed for other military applications. The third-generation of the 777, launched as the 777X, is to feature new GE9X engines and new composite wings with folding wingtips. Following flight testing, aerodynamic refinements have reduced fuel burn by an additional 1.4%. Its operating empty weight with Rolls-Royce engines in typical tri-class layout is 343,300 lb (155.72 t) compared to 307,300 lb (139.38 t) for a similarly configured -200. Its overwing fuselage vegas casino apk section 44 was strengthened, with its skin thickness going from the -200’s 0.25 to 0.45 in (6.3 to 11.4 mm), and received a new evacuation door pair.
Variants for the Boeing 777
These smaller folding wingtips are less complex than those proposed for earlier 777s, and internally only affect the wiring needed for wingtip lights. The main fuselage cross-section is fully circular, and tapers rearward into a blade-shaped tail cone with a port-facing auxiliary power unit. The fly-by-wire system also incorporates flight envelope protection, a system that guides pilot inputs within a computer-calculated framework of operating parameters, acting to prevent stalls, overspeeds, and excessively stressful maneuvers.
The accident was attributed to ice crystals suspended in the aircraft’s fuel clogging the fuel-oil heat exchanger (FOHE). The first fatality involving the twinjet occurred in a fire while an aircraft was being refueled at Denver International Airport in the United States on September 5, 2001, during which a ground worker sustained fatal burns. The first of these, a 777F in 2018, performed the world’s first commercial airliner flights using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The program started in 2011, with the first ecoDemonstrator aircraft flying in 2012.
On November 13, the FAUB robotic system was abandoned after six years of implementation, to use human machinists more. The 777X was already a year behind schedule as service introduction was targeted for 2022, a further delay due to the certification as a derivative could risk key orders. Depending on the outcome of its root cause investigation, Boeing should have time to modify the failed part and repeat the test during the margin from the existing engine-related delays. GE Aviation in Ohio is recalling four GE9X turbofans from Boeing in Washington state in Antonov An-124 freighters from Volga-Dnepr Airlines, mounted in 26 x 14 x 13 ft (8 x 4 x 4 m), 36,000 lb (16.3 t) stands. The company continued to target first deliveries in 2020, though it intends to boost production of current-generation 777 freighters in 2020. The 777X test plan was later revised as several months are required to develop and test fixes to the GE9X, and first flight slipped to October–November.
Preferred Cabin
Optimized for the greatest lift with the least drag, the advanced wing shape allows the 777 to climb quicker, cruise faster and higher, and consume less fuel during cruise. On August 6, 2025, Cathay Pacific ordered an additional 14 aircraft, which brings the airline’s total commitment to 35 airframes. The deal also includes 8 spare engines plus two options and a maintenance service contract for the General Electric GE9X engines.
Some customers bemoaned the loss of engine competition, like Air Lease Corporation’s CEO Steven Udvar-Hazy who wanted a choice of engines. In the rest of 2013, thrust was bumped to 102,000 and 105,000 lbf (450 and 470 kN) to support the MTOW growing from 769,413 to 775,000 lb (349,000 to 351,534 kg) and increasing the payload-range, with a possible 108,000 lbf (480 kN) envisioned. In 2011, Boeing refined its response to the revamped Airbus A350 XWB with three 777X models, targeting a firm configuration in 2015, flying in late 2017 or 2018, and entering service by 2019.
- Initial service was affected by gearbox bearing wear issues, which caused British Airways to temporarily withdraw its 777 fleet from transatlantic service in 1997, returning to full service later that year.
- The production process included substantial international content, an unprecedented level of global subcontracting for a Boeing jetliner, later exceeded by the 787.
- For the longer 777-9, replacing the engines should improve fuel consumption by 10%, with the longer, carbon-fiber wings adding an estimated 7% improvement.
- Its development cost was expected to exceed $5 billion with at least $2 billion for the carbon-composite wing.
- Seating options range from four to six–abreast in first class up to ten–abreast in economy.
Developed in consultation with eight major airlines, the 777 program was launched in October 1990, with an order from United Airlines. From its design to its performance, it’s changed the way we think about air travel. Airlines are retiring older, less efficient jets in favor of newer, fuel-saving models like the 777. The cabin is spacious, the air feels fresher thanks to advanced systems, and there’s plenty of room for luggage.
Boeing’s first composite wing spars, stringers, and skin panels are formed in the $1 billion Composite Wing Center before assembly on a new horizontal build line. In February 2018, Subaru (ex–Fuji Heavy Industries) completed the first aluminum and titanium center wingbox integrated with main landing gear wheel wells at its Handa factory. The detailed design phase was expected to be completed in 2017 as avionics, power and other systems are ready for ground tests.
The Boeing 777X is the latest series of the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jetliners in the Boeing 777 family from Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) recognized the Boeing Company and the 777 team with its Robert J. Collier Trophy for 1995 for their work designing, manufacturing, and introducing the 777 into service. A prototype was released in April 1994, and the first flight of a 777 was on June 12, 1994, marking the beginning of an 11-month test program. The 777 is the first commercial American-made plane to use a fly-by-wire flight control system, in which pilots control rudders and flaps electronically. The Boeing 777 was designed by using CATIA, a three-dimensional design technology that incorporated digital design, engineering, and manufacturing. The 777 was first flown on June 12, 1994, and commercial service commenced on June 7, 1995.
Freighter
Various airframes have been used since to test a wide variety of technologies in collaboration with a range of industrial partners. The first program, the Quiet Technology Demonstrator (QTD) was run in collaboration with Rolls-Royce and General Electric to develop and validate engine intake and exhaust modifications, including the chevrons subsequently used in the 737 MAX, and 787 series. After having considered a -200ER P2F program, Boeing was hoping to conclude its study by the fall as the 777X replacing aging -300ERs from 2020 will generate feedstock.