Now that the Boeing 747 program has officially come to an end with the delivery of the last 747-8F this month, we look to the future. Boeing is currently in the certification process for the 777X program, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2025. The aircraft has big shoes to fill, but there is good reason to believe it will succeed.

British Airways is one carrier that placed a sizable order of 777-9s to replace its fleet of retiring 747s. At the time of the order, former International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh said,

"The new B777X-9 is the world’s most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft and will bring many benefits to British Airways’ fleet. It’s the ideal replacement for the Boeing 747 and its size and range will be an excellent fit for the airline’s existing network. This aircraft will provide further cost efficiencies and environmental benefits with fuel cost per seat improvements of 30 per cent compared to the Boeing 747.”

Capacity

Boeing has long sold the 777X program as the ideal replacement for the quadjet for several reasons. The first and foremost, as mentioned by Walsh as well, is the aircraft size. With a capacity of 426 passengers in a two-class layout, it is closer to the 747's impressive 524 in two classes and 416 in a three-class layout. However, the first class is being slowly phased out in many aircraft, and two cabins are quickly becoming the norm.

Boeing 777X
Photo: Boeing

While capacity is 20% lesser, airlines have adapted to higher frequencies on most routes, with jets like the 777-300ER and Airbus A350-1000 being seen as the current replacements. However, the longer 777-9 will add much-needed capacity at slot-restricted airports like London Heathrow or New York JFK Airport.

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Range

The 777-9, best suited to replace the 747, clocks in with a range of 7,285 nautical miles. The 747-8 is ever so slightly ahead with a range of 7,730 nautical miles, meaning the two can serve similar destinations. Here's a visualization of the 777-9's range out of London Heathrow for reference.

777X Range
Photo: GCMap

However, the Queen of the Skies has one major advantage thanks to its size: payload. While the 777X can only carry 162,000 lbs of payload, the 747-8 can carry an impressive 303,700 lbs. This makes for much more cargo capacity, a valuable commodity on the high-value routes that these jets are usually deployed.

Modern technology

The 747 is simply not designed for this modern climate. Apart from being cheaper to run (by approximately one or two dollars per seat per hour of flight time), the 777X features modern technologies, such as the largest engines ever placed on a passenger aircraft. Manufacturers are also building the plane with the engineering principles for today's world.

While the 777-9 also doesn't have the cutting-edge materials of the 787 and A350, it makes it up with its massive GE9X engines and larger fuselage to provide excellent passenger comfort. With new avionics, better economics, and lower environmental impact thanks to a twin-engine layout, the aircraft is ready to take the baton from an icon of the skies.

Lufthansa 747-8
Photo: Tom Boon | Simple Flying
 

Coming soon

Boeing bills the 777X to be the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jet in the world. It is expected to bring airlines 12% lower fuel consumption and 10% lower operating costs than the competition. However, the aircraft is facing a huge challenge already: certification. Plagued by increased scrutiny by regulators, engine issues, and other technical snags, the 777X has been progressively delayed from a debut in 2020 all the way to 2025.

Once the plane hits the market, Boeing expects it to be an instant hit, replacing the remaining passenger 747s and even classic generation 777. While it will never capture the imagination the way the Queen of the Skies did, the 777X is a worthy and modern successor to the jet.

Do you think the Boeing 777X is a suitable replacement for the 747? How do you feel the two widebodies compare with each other? Let us know what your thoughts on the planes are in the comment section.