With the end of production of the 747 and A380, the Boeing 777X became the largest commercial aircraft available for sale on the market.
The widebody derived from the original series launched in the 90s is also the largest twin-engine passenger jet ever developed, promising to offer very large operational savings compared to current aircraft.
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However, the program suffered several setbacks, including problems with the development of the GE9X engines, the largest turbofans ever built.
Boeing is also under the scrutiny of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which after the accidents with the 737 MAX became more judicious in the certification process.
As a result, the planemaker’s expectation is that the 777-9, the first and largest variant of the new family, will only enter into service in 2025.
The 777-8F cargo version is expected in 2028 while the passenger 777-8 does not yet have a secure forecast.
How many orders has the Boeing 777X?
| Customer | 777-8F | 777-8 | 777-9 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India | 10 | 10 | ||
| All Nippon Airways | 2 | 18 | 20 | |
| British Airways | 18 | 18 | ||
| Cargolux | 10 | 10 | ||
| Cathay Pacific | 21 | 21 | ||
| Emirates | 35 | 137 | 172 | |
| Etihad Airways | 8 | 17 | 25 | |
| Lufthansa | 7 | 20 | 27 | |
| Qatar Airways | 34 | 40 | 74 | |
| Silk Way West Airlines | 2 | 2 | ||
| Singapore Airlines | 31 | 31 | ||
| Unidentified Customer(s) | 10 | 10 | ||
| Total Gross Orders | 55 | 43 | 322 | 420 |
| Emirates possible cancellations | 35 | 22 | 57 | |
| Total Net Orders | 55 | 8 | 300 | 363 |
*Confirmed and estimated data
But after all, how many customers have chosen the 777X family so far? Boeing does not report net orders, but only gross orders, which means that part of these orders may not actually be exercised.
By September 2023, the US planemaker recorded 410 gross orders from 12 known customers and ten aircraft from undisclosed buyers.
Boeing, however, shows that it has 363 firm family orders in another table, which matches the information contained in the unfilled orders report.
Of the three versions, only the 777-8 Freighter maintains 55 firm orders while the passenger 777-8 drops from 43 to eight orders and the 777-9, from 322 to 300 net orders.
After crossing several data, it is possible to have an estimate close to reality about how many orders Boeing has for the new series.
Air India – 10 Boeing 777-9
Air India is the latest customer for the 777X, having announced a firm order for 10 aircraft months ago as part of its global project. They are all from the larger version, 777-9.
All Nippon Airways – 18 777-9 and two 777-8F
ANA is a long-time 777X customer and initially ordered 20 777-9 jets. But in July 2022, Japan’s airline decided to convert two 777-9s into the 777-8F cargo version.
British Airways – 18 777-9
The UK flag carrier has a firm order for 18 Boeing 777-9s since 2019 and has kept the deal intact.
Cargolux – 10 777-8F
Traditional Boeing customer, Cargolux has become a future operator of the 777-8F, which will replace its 747 freighters.
Cathay Pacific – 21 777-9
The Hong Kong-based airline placed an order for 21 777-9s in 2013 and even considered exchanging part of them for the freighter model, however, there has been no announcement yet from Boeing or Cathay.
Emirates Airline – 115 777-9 and 35 777-8
The 777X’s largest customer, Emirates, has an order shrouded in mystery. According to the Boeing report, there are 172 aircraft on order, but the company itself cites different data.
There would be 115 aircraft, 80 of the 777-9 model and 35 of the 777-8, but in June 2023 a new order for 16 planes appeared on the US manufacturer’s list.
Comparing information, it is suggested that there would be 115 777-9s as firm orders, which corroborates the total of 300 aircraft pending delivery. In other words, Emirates would have decided not to receive the 777-8.
Etihad Airways – 17 777-9s and eight 777-8s
With Emirates’ apparent lack of interest in the 777-8, only Etihad would be left as a customer for the smaller version of the 777X, which has the longest range of the family, at 8,745 nautical miles (16,190 km).
The Abu Dhabi-based airline has eight orders for the variant, as well as 17 777-9s.
Lufthansa – 20 777-9s and seven 777-8Fs
The German carrier is the launch customer for the 777X, having purchased 20 Boeing 777-9s in 2013. Last year, Lufthansa decided to also invest in the 777-8F freighter, with an extra order for seven aircraft.
Qatar Airways – 40 777-9 and 34 777-8F
Qatar was the launch customer for the 777-8 Freighter in January 2022, ordering 34 aircraft from the start. Part of the total was a conversion of its initial order of 60 passenger 777Xs. Now, the airline has 74 firm orders in the series.
Silk Way West – two 777-8F
The Azerbaijani cargo airline has ordered two 777-8Fs that will operate in conjunction with its rival, the Airbus A350F.
Singapore Airlines – 31 777-9
A major operator of the original 777, Singapore placed an order for 20 777-9s in 2017 and in February 2021 added 11 more aircraft to the deal with Boeing.
Unidentified customers
Boeing is preserving the identity of one or more customers in 10 777X orders that, as far as it is understood, are all for the 777-9 variant.
