Unsurprisingly, it’s the 777-9 that has captured the attention of most airlines. To do this, the airplane adds 20 feet in length (10 longer than the 777-300ER/A350-1000) and sees range drop to 7,285nm which is very close to what the 777-300ER has. That airplane will add 30 seats to the 777-8’s capacity to hit 426 in a typical 2-cabin configuration. The 777-8 may fly long, but the 777-9 is long. Range is similar to the 777-8 with the A350-1000 coming in at 8,700nm. The A350-1000 is 10 feet longer than the 777-8, but it has lower typical capacity - around 370 - since it will usually fly with 9-abreast. The -8 is also the closest match to the Airbus A350-1000, Airbus’s flagship now that the A380 is dead. There aren’t that many ultra long-haul routes that need that much airplane, but it will give airlines the option instead of just relying on the 787 as they must today. While the 777-300ER posts a 7,730nm range, the 777-8 will come in at 8,745nm. The steroids come in thanks to the new wing and engine technology. The cabin is apparently something like 4 inches wider, so there’s a tiny bit more room there, but not much. It will still be 10-abreast in economy, so it must just have more usable length or better-placed monuments that allow for more seating. It holds about the same number of passengers in a 2-cabin configuration - just shy of 400 - but it’s actually 10 feet shorter. Think of the -8 as a 777-300ER on steroids. The 777X will have 3 versions, the shorter 777-8, the freighter version 777-8F, and the longer 777-9. So it seems like the right time to talk about this airplane. It’s now pegged for 2025, a mere six years later than originally planned.Īll that being said, 2025 isn’t that far off, if that date holds. The launch order came from Lufthansa in 2013 and while first flight occurred in 2020, delivery keeps being pushed back. More than a decade ago, Boeing put forth the 777X as a competitor to the higher end of the A350 family. With the 747 put out to pasture, the 777X will be Boeing’s largest commercial airplane.

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