Boeing launches 777X program - images and video

by Devesh Agarwal

Boeing 777-9X. Boeing image.

The Dubai Airshow is known for releasing multi-billion dollar orders from the major Gulf carriers, and yesterday was no exception.

Boeing was the clear winner on day one of the show, and the star was the yet to be commenced Boeing 777X program which is an upgrade of the already ultra-popular Boeing 777 twin engine wide body jetliner which today commands 71% of the in-service fleet worldwide.

Video at the end of the story

Despite receiving a order for 34 777-9X from German carrier Lufthansa two months ago, Boeing formally launched the 777X program at the 2013 Dubai Airshow, in deference to its largest 777 customer, Dubai-based Emirates airline, whose CEO, Tim Clark, has been the biggest demander of the new aircraft. (Watch a video of Tim Clark talking about wide body aircraft including the 777X).

Reflecting customer faith in the yet to be developed aircraft, Boeing took in orders and commitments for a whopping 225 aircraft, racking up its tally to 259, making the 777X, the largest product launch in commercial jetliner history by value.

Boeing image

Boeing received orders and commitments from Etihad Airways with 25 77X aircraft (17 777-9X and 8 777-8X), Qatar Airways with 50 777-9X; and Emirates with 150 777X (115 777-9X and 35 777-8X), with an option for 50 more. The combined value of the agreements is more than $95 billion at list prices.

The consistent large orders from the Gulf majors is not unexpected. As Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, explained

"In recent years, much of the action in global aviation has shifted to the Middle East because countries like the U.A.E. and Qatar have tapped into our geographical advantage to build new air transport connections for the world,"

The 777X will build on the market leading 777 and will introduce new technologies in multiple places. A new composite wing similar to the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 Jumbo will feature folding raked wingtips, allowing the new plane to fit into existing gates at airports. The new GE9X is touted as the most advanced commercial engine ever. Giving airlines what they desire most, lower seat-mile costs.

Mini-jumbo battle

Boeing 777-9X and 777-8X CGI. Boeing image.

The existing 777-300ER (77W) will be upgraded to the 777-9X with a list price of $377.2 million, an expected entry in to service (EIS) date of 2020, range of 8,200 nm (15,185 km), and passenger capacity of 406. The 777-200LR will be upgraded to the ultra-long-haul (ULH) 777-8X with a list price of $349.8 million, an EIS about 18 months after the -9X, range of 9,300 nm (17,220 km), and passenger capacity of 350 which is close to that of the existing 777-300ER.

The "mini-jumbo" segment is hotly contested, pitting the 777X against the A350 XWB from European major, Airbus.

While Boeing claims "the 777-8X competes directly with the A350-1000, while the 777-9X is in a class by itself", Airbus counters saying Boeing has driven up passenger numbers to justify operating economics using the ultra-dense 17 inch width seating, as practised by Emirates and Etihad, when compared to the wider 18 inch seat width used by Airbus to arrive at its 350 seat A350-1000, which is due to enter service in 2017.

Video of 777X

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Dubai Airshow 2013 starts with record breaking orders

As expected the Dubai Airshow opened today with a record breaking order book.

Within three hours of opening, the show’s order tally reached US $162.6 billion – surpassing its previous record of US $155 billion record set in 2007 – with deals coming from Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, flydubai and Qatar Airways.

The opening order came from Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways which announced a deal for 56 new Boeing 777s valued at US$25.2 billion at list prices, including related GE engines. The deal also sees Etihad become the launch customer for the 777-8X which is expected to enter service in 2022.

The airline also ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, making Etihad the largest customer for the composite aircraft.

James Hogan, President and CEO, Etihad Airways said

“We rarely make announcements at air shows, but when we do the world listens,”

Dubai-headquartered Emirates Airline rapidly re-wrote the Dubai Airshow record with news of a US$99 billion purchase of Boeing and Airbus planes – which industry experts dubbed the largest-ever aircraft order in civil aviation.

The Emirates headline deal was for 150 Boeing 777X, plus 50 purchase rights, and an additional 50 Airbus A380 superjumbos - of which Emirates is currently the largest fleet operator.

Low-cost airline FlyDubai weighed in with a US$11.4 billion order for 111 Boeing 737s and 738s, and then Qatar Airways topped off the morning’s historic agreements with the signing of a US$19 billion letter of intent for 54 Boeing 777s.

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Etihad kicks off Dubai airshow with mamomth Boeing 777-9X, 777-8X and 787-10 order

by Devesh Agarwal

From top, clockwise, Boeing CGI of Etihad 787-10, 777-8X, 777-9X

United Arab Emirates' (UAE) national carrier, Etihad Airways PJSC, kicked off the Dubai Air Show with a massive order for 56 wide-body Boeing aircraft with options to purchase for an additional 26 aircraft taking the quantity up to 82 at a list price valuation of $25.2 billion.

The Abu Dhabi-based carrier's order includes 25 777X airplanes, comprising 17 777-9Xs and eight 777-8Xs, subject to program launch. Etihad Airways is the first airline to order the 777-8X and will be a launch customer of the airplane, which is expected to enter service around the end of the decade. The order includes options and purchase rights for 12 additional 777X airplanes.

The airline also ordered 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, the high-capacity, medium-haul, and longest member of the Dreamliner family. Combined with the carrier's previous orders for 41 787-9s, today's order makes Etihad the world's largest airline customer for the Dreamliner family with a total of 71 787s on order. The order includes options and purchase rights for an additional 12 787-10s.

Today’s announcement also includes the milestone 1,000th Boeing 787 Dreamliner to be ordered.

Etihad also ordered one Boeing 777F freighter which is based on the 777-200LR.

The 777X is the upgrade of the venerable Boeing 777 family featuring new composite wings as seen on the 747-8 and 787 family aircraft, along with new GEnx engines which GE promises will be about 10% more fuel efficient. The 777X

The Boeing 777-9X is a stretched, more fuel-efficient version of Boeing ultra-popular 777-300ER. Typically seating 400 passengers, the 777-9X will be capable of flying the same distances as its predecessor, but with up to 40 more passengers, with lower operating costs and reduced fuel consumption per seat. The 777-9X was launched less than two months ago with an order from German flag carrier Lufthansa. Eithad is expected to start receiving its 777-9X from 2020.

The Boeing 777-8X is an upgraded version of the ultra long-haul Boeing 777-200LR, which Etihad recently purchased from Indian flag carrier Air India, to serve the Abu Dhabi – Los Angeles route. The -8X will replace the LRs when the start arriving in 2022. [Read our analysis on why the 777-200LR is ill-suited to Air India's operations]

The Boeing 787-10 is the largest and latest version of the Dreamliner family, typically carrying more than 320 passengers, up to 50 more than the 787-9 which Etihad Airways will introduce late in 2014. The aircraft will be capable of flying between Abu Dhabi and medium-haul destinations such as Dublin or Johannesburg, and it is expected to be deployed on high capacity medium haul routes by the airline. Final assembly and flight test of the 787-10 are set to begin in 2017, with first delivery targeted for 2018. Boeing launched the 787-10 earlier this year, at the Paris Air Show.

All the aircraft in this order will be powered by General Electric GE9X, GEnx and GE90 engines. Etihad ordered 57 GE9X engines which will power Etihad Airways’ 25 new Boeing 777X aircraft, 68 GEnx-1B engines for the airline’s 30 new Boeing 787-10 aircraft, and two GE90-115B engines which will be used on its new Boeing 777-200F freighter.

Etihad Airways currently has 86 aircraft in operation, with more than 80 aircraft on firm order. Its last major aircraft deal was made at the Farnborough Air Show in 2008, where Etihad Airways announced firm orders for 100 aircraft, including 45 Boeing aircraft, in a long-term order which was at the time one of the largest in aviation history.

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