First Widebody Airplane To Pass The Milestone

Boeing's 777 is the first commercial widebody airliner to surpass the 2,000 order milestone, according to Boeing vice president of Marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Randy Tinseth.

Writing in his company blog, Tinseth said that in December, Boeing won 17 net orders for the 777 from BOC Aviation and two unidentified customers, bringing the program to 2,013 orders since its launch. The total includes popular models such as the 777-300ER (Extended Range) passenger jet, the long-range 777 Freighter, and the new 777X.

Beyond the overall sales total, the 777’s order performance in 2018 – and in recent years – really shows the family’s incredible staying power as the leader in the long-haul market. After clinching 40 net orders in 2017, the 777 won 51 net orders in 2018 and 209 orders over the past five years.

"As of the end of November, the 777 has won more orders in 2018 than each Airbus widebody jet: the A350, A330 and A380. I don’t know what the final tally is for those programs, but it would fit a trend: Over the past decade, the 777-300ER has outsold ...  the A350-1000 by more than 3 to 1, while the 777 family has outsold the A350-1000 by more than 5 to 1," Tinseth wrote.

Tinseth added that the 777 Freighter has also been a big driving force behind the 2018 sales success as Boeing finalized orders with DHL Express, FedEx Express, ANA Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Turkish Cargo and Qatar Airways, to name more than a few.

"The staying power of the 777 is providing a good transition to the new 777X, which will further extend the family’s performance, economics and range capability," Tinseth wrote. "Over the next few months, we will have more opportunities to go deeper into the special characteristics of the 777X – including an all-new high-span composite wing, its incredible range and 12-percent fuel efficiency advantage over its competition."

(Source: Boeing blog. Images from file)

FMI: www.boeing.com