The Boeing 777 has broken another record. The aircraft, which had already been the best-selling widebody jet of all time, has now exceeded 2,000 orders.

Boeing 777 Orders

According to Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s VP of Marketing, BOC and two unidentified customers placed a total of 17 orders for the 777 in December. Since its launch Boeing has received 2013 orders for the aircraft (this number also includes orders for the new 777X).

Boeing 777. Photo: Boeing.

While Boeing received 40 orders for its 777 in 2017, the number of orders increased to 51 in 2018 “really show[ing] the family’s incredible staying power as the leader in the long-haul market.”

Currently, Boeing has a backlog of 426 777 aircraft with 1,582 aircraft already delivered. (5 aircraft are currently removed from the backlog per revenue recognition accounting standard ASC 606, because Boeing is not sure if the sales will actually go through.)

Emirates operates the most 777 aircraft (163 total). It is the only airline which has had all variants of the 777 in its fleet, including the -200, the -200ER, the -200LR, the -300, the -300ER, and the 777F.

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Boeing 777 vs. Airbus A350

How do Boeing 777 sales compare to Airbus A350 sales? Over the past decade, for each A350-1000 Airbus sold, Boeing sold about three 777-300ER. As a matter of fact, as of the end of November, in 2018 more orders were placed for the 777 than any of the Airbus widebody jets including the A330, the A350 and the A380.

As Randy Tinseth stated “[t]he 777 is a powerful platform that continues to deliver unmatched passenger and cargo capabilities.” The aircraft combines passenger comfort with superior range (8,555 nautical miles for the 777-200 LR and 7,370 nautical miles for the 777-300 ER) and excellent fuel efficiency making it a great choice for airlines. In fact, out of the 20 longest commercial routes half are operated on a 777. Qatar Airways' flight from Auckland to Doha is the longest route on a 777 and the second longest non-stop flight offered by an airline.

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The freighter version is very popular as well. ANA Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, DHL Express, Turkish Cargo, FedEx Express, and Qatar Airways ordered the 777 Freighter in 2018. The 777 Freighter has a range of 4,900 nautical miles and can carry a payload of 112 tons. It is the longest-range and largest twin-engine cargo aircraft in the world.

Boeing 777 Freighter. Photo: Boeing.

The 777’s Future

The newest member of the 777 family, the 777X, is scheduled for its first test flight in the second quarter of this year. The 777X will boast an even longer range (8,700 nautical miles for the 777-8) and better fuel efficiency. To date, Boeing has received 326 orders for the 777X. Emirates has ordered the most 777X aircraft, 150 to be exact, followed by Qatar Airways with 60 aircraft.

Boeing 777X. Photo: Boeing.

The Boeing 777 has done and continues to do well. However, the last firm order for a 777X was placed by Singapore Airlines in June of 2017. Accordingly, Boeing did not receive any orders for the 777X in 2018. Currently, several airlines are considering the purchase of the 777X, but none of them have placed a firm order.

How do you feel about the 777? Are you looking forward to the arrival of the 777X?