777

August 20th, 2007

Just so we don’t get our (A380) wires crossed, this isnt a direct or like-for-like comparison between the merits (or otherwise) of the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777.

As at June 30, 2007, using Airbus’ data, the A380 had secured 165 firm orders from 14 customers over a near 7 year period since its formal launch in December 2000.

Since its launch in early 2000, the 777-300ER has secured 284 firm orders from 21 customers (not including 46 777-200LR and 80 777-200F sales, pushing the total to 410). The only slight difference is that the A380 is in the third year without a new customer.

I would have added in A380F orders too as I’ve done with the 777-200LR / -200F figures, but as we all know - there aren’t any A380F orders to add - and dont sit there waiting for it ever to take to the skies because it’s highly unlikely, if at all.

I should add, that the 777 order count does not include the recent deals announced by Air New Zealand and Cathay Pacific to take 777-300ER’s.

Whats equally interesting is the following article from Flight Global.com. Click here to read the article in full.

With the 777X launch, Boeing is forecasting total 777 family sales of around 2,000, of which a quarter could be the new derivatives. A total of 452 777s have been sold since the type was launched in October 1990. Of those, 266 aircraft have been delivered.

McNerney says that, based on “very conservative” estimates of 450-500 sales of the 777X, GE expects to make $15 billion to $20 billion over the next 20 years.

Sure the article is just over 7 years old - but it illustrates rather well just how quickly the former 777X family has come along. (For the benefit of this entry, the 777-200LR / -300ER / -200F will be collectively referred to as the “777NG” family.)

As the overall 777 family closes in 1000 orders, the 777NG family is well above the envisaged target of 25% on sales of possibly 2000 airplanes. At the moment, the 777NG comprises 41% of the 988 listed orders on the Boeing website as at August 13 2007.

Image courtesy of Matt Cawby / Skyline Photography

Since the turn of the 21st century, aside from the 787 stellar sales success, the 777-300ER has powered the 777 family into the skies and beyond. The 777 family is the preferred widebody jet for over 50 different customers.

Only the 747 has more customers in the Boeing widebody lineup with over 70 customers, closely followed by the 767.

I don’t think that there has been any widebody jet that has ever closed on 2000 firm orders. If any widebody jet can reach that target (again, aside from the 787!), the 777 will get there.

Since entering service in the summer of 1995, the 777 has gone on to shatter many records that stood in its way.

Image courtesy of Boeingmedia.com

Below is some evidence from Boeings website. The information can be located here, here and here.

• 1995 - Certification: The Boeing 777-200 received type and production certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Europe’s Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) on the same day (April 19, 1995), an unprecedented achievement. The 777 became the first airplane in aviation history to earn FAA approval to fly extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) at service-entry.

• 1996 - Smithsonian Achievement Award: The 777 received the 1996 Trophy for Current Achievement from the National Air & Space Museum Smithsonian Institution. The annual award recognizes outstanding achievements in the fields of aerospace science and technology. The 777 Program was noted for being “a model of efficiency, utilizing the very latest technology, as well as developing a wide range of new technologies, to design, fabricate, flight test and finally to certify the aircraft for international use.”

• 1996 - Industry Awards: The 777 won the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy, awarded by the National Aeronautic Association. The award honored the 777 as the top aeronautical achievement of 1995. Boeing was recognized specifically for “designing, manufacturing and placing into service the world’s most technologically advanced airline transport.”

• 1997 - Distance and Speed Records: The 777-200ER (extended range), in Malaysia Airlines livery, established a new Great Circle Distance Without Landing record. The airplane flew from Boeing Field, Seattle, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, covering 12,455.34 statute miles (20,044.20 km). The same airplane later went on to complete a record-setting circumnavigation of the world, establishing a new speed world record for its size and class of airplane. The Speed Around the World, Eastbound record was set by traveling the Seattle-Kuala Lumpur-Seattle route at an average speed of 553 miles per hour (889 km/h).

• 1999 - Passenger Preference: A survey of nearly 6,000 passengers flying on long-range routes to and from Europe in first, business and economy classes revealed an overwhelming preference for the 777.

• 2000 - Popular Science magazine names the 777-200 Longer Range airplane, with General Electric GE90-115 engines, to its Top 100 Best of What’s New for 2000.

• 2002 - Air Transport World magazine gives its 2002 Airline Technology Achievement award to Boeing for its 777 airplane.

• 2002 - The 777 takes top honors in the 2002 Airfinance Journal operators and investors poll.

• 2003 - A Boeing 777-300ER performs first of six 330-minute ETOPS flights, flying more than five hours with one of its two engines shut down.

• 2005 - A 777-200LR Worldliner (WD002) sets a new world record for distance traveled non-stop by a commercial jetliner. The 777-200LR set a distance record of 11,664 nautical miles (21,601 km) on a route flying eastbound from Hong Kong to London (Heathrow). The flight lasted 22 hours and 42 minutes.

• 2005 - Emirates places single largest firm order for 777s in the program’s history with order for 42 777s — including 24 777-300ERs, 10 777-200LRs and 8 777 Freighters.

In the past, there has been much criticism of Boeing updating its airplanes with derivative models as opposed to all new designs.

If the runaway success of the 737 family and 747 family are anything to go by, whatever challenge comes the 777’s way in the form of the as-of-yet-undefined Airbus A350XWB - one thing is for sure- a replacement or upgrade aside, the market has faith in the 777 family.

The orderbook is testimony to that. Put simply, the 777 is one of the two biggest selling big twins there is.

The 777 has a long journey till the sun sets on it or the clouds of retirement gather - there’s nothing but clear blue skies ahead….

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