The Boeing 777X
is the latest widebody aircraft from Boeing. While it may initially appear as a simple reengine, this is one of the most thorough reworks of an airliner that we have ever seen. It’s been delayed until 2026 at the earliest, but when it finally does arrive, the 777X is promising to be one of the most cost-effective and capable weapons that an airline can have in its arsenal.
Boeing 777
First Delivery
May 15, 1995
Number Delivered
1,735
Production Sites
Everett, Washington, United States
It’s the third generation of the Boeing 777, the most successful widebody program of all time. With this plane, Boeing popularized the concept of long-range two-engined airliners, but, when Airbus introduced the next-generation A350, Boeing was thrown to the ropes. The new A350 would be as advanced and efficient as the Boeing 787
, while being as big as a 777. The 1990s era mini-jumbo stood no chance, so Boeing created the 777X. Let’s see what it brings.
1
A Redesigned Cabin
Longer, wider, and taller
Image: Boeing
The Boeing 777X has received a significant overhaul of its basic cabin design. First, the sidewalls have been resculpted to add four extra inches of space. The Boeing 777 is notorious for its tight 10-abreast seating and narrow aisles. This is probably not enough to add substantial width to the seats, but airlines can add two extra inches to each aisle, allowing for easier passage and for cabin crew to work more efficiently. The redesign of the sidewalls also added height to the ceiling.
In addition to the width and height, the fuselage also received a stretch: 23 feet 5 inches (7.1 meters) for the 777-8, and 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 meters) for the 777-9. This was done to improve the per-seat economics of the aircraft. What this means is that the 777-9 in particular has a huge amount of floor space. Many of the 777-9’s customers are existing A350 operators, who will use the new plane to offer first class, while the A350s stick to flying with only business class as their top cabin.
* Did you know that the 777-8 and 777-8F are the same length as the Boeing 747-100/200/300/400? *
Another change is that the 777X only offers eight cabin doors as standard, compared to 10 for the 777-300ER. This frees up space inside the cabin to add more seats. There are no more exit doors over the wings, so the emergency slides inside the wings are gone, saving weight and maintenance costs. For customers who plan to configure the plane in a high-density layout, a fifth set of doors is optional, but it’s now behind the third row of exits, so that the wings don’t need to carry slides.
2
A Thorough Revamp To The Inflight Experience
A 1990s-era plane, but it doesn’t look like it
Photo: Boeing
Let’s face it, long-haul flying isn’t always the nicest experience. The air is dry, the seats are tight, planes are loud, windows are small, and there’s the chance that your bag won’t even fit into the overhead bins. With the 777X, Boeing promises to make this a thing of the past. The seats will probably remain the same, but wider aisles will make it less cumbersome to move around the cabin. The wider and taller interior will also make the plane feel less claustrophobic.
The overhead bins are large enough to fit four generously sized carry-ons on their sides, while Boeing offers a smaller center bin for premium classes as an optional feature. The lighting system has been thoroughly upgraded and can even generate star patterns on the ceiling. Meanwhile, the 777X features new windows that are larger, higher, and dimmable, just like on the 787 Dreamliner.
Despite having a metal body, the 777X will be coming with a lower cabin altitude, which will be similar to that of the 787 or Airbus A350
. Advanced filtration systems will keep the air cleaner, while optional humidifiers will make the cabin less dry. Furthermore, the new GE9X engines are far quieter than the models on the outgoing 777s, and a ‘smooth-ride’ system will reduce the effects of turbulence. All in all, flying on a 777X should be just like traveling on a Boeing 787, just bigger.
3
The Redesigned Flight Deck
It looks every bit as new as the 787
Photo: Justin Hayward | Simple Flying
Examining the photograph above, you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’re looking at the flight deck of a 787, but this is intentional. Indeed, the original 777 is already certified as a common type rating with the Dreamliner in some jurisdictions, and even countries that don’t allow this do permit shortened training courses between the two jets, like the United States.
One new item for the 777X is its touchscreens. Boeing believes that this will be more intuitive for pilots to use and that this can help reduce visual clutter. Furthermore, the onboard computer can connect to a pilot’s iPad and essentially project what’s being displayed onto the main screens in the cockpit. Dubbed as the ‘Crew Information Gateway,’ this will help pilots focus their attention on the main flight deck displays, minimizing distractions from having to interact with the iPad.
Furthermore, the visual similarities to the 787 help reduce the learning curve for flight crews and make transitions between the two much easier to understand. Of course, there are dual Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) that provide pilots with critical information without requiring them to look down. These are standard on the 787, but most airliners only include them as an optional extra, and it remains to be seen how they will be offered on the 777X.
Related
How Often Have Boeing’s 4 Test 777Xs Flown This Year?
The Boeing 777X test fleet is finally back in the air. So where are they flying?
4
A Brand New Wing
The biggest change to the 777
Photo: Falcons Spotters | Shutterstock
The Boeing 777-300ER
is an excellent aircraft, but its Achilles heel is that the wings are quite small. At the time of its launch, the competing Airbus A340-600 was a compromised quadjet, and the GE90-115B beat fuel burn projections, so the plane was a slam dunk. However, when a brand new A350 was launched, simply adding new engines wouldn’t cut it. As such, the 777X received a brand new wing as well.
It’s made primarily out of carbon composite materials, with an aerodynamic design based on the 787’s wing. It’s larger and wider than the original 777 wing, which improves fuel burn dramatically. The new wing is so effective, in fact, that the new plane requires less thrust than outgoing 777 models, despite being bigger.
Specification
Boeing 777-300ER
Boeing 777-9
Wingspan
212 ft 7 in (64.8 m)
235 ft 5 in (71.76 m) extended, 212 ft 9 in (64.84 m)
Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW)
351T
351T
Engines
2x General Electric GE90-115B
2x General Electric GE9X
Thrust per engine
115,300 lbf
110,000 lbf
However, there was a problem. The new wing design is so wide that it doesn’t fit into ICAO Code E gates, like existing Boeing 777s. Rather, its wingspan places it into Code F, like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8. To ensure that the plane could use existing infrastructure, Boeing introduced folding wingtips. These are 22 feet 8 inches (6.92 meters) wide and fold up when the aircraft is on the ground. When it’s time for departure, a large switch on the overhead panel extends the wingtips out.
5
The General Electric GE9X
More size, more efficiency, and less thrust (but only technically)
Photo: Aerospace Trek | Shutterstock
This is perhaps the most important part of the Boeing 777X. Modern engine designs are the largest component to fuel efficiency improvements, and the General Electric GE9X
is a promising engine. It has a bypass ratio of 10:1, the same as the 787’s GEnx engines, and although it’s larger than the GE90, it has fewer fan blades. The extensive use of exotic materials means that the engine can run hotter, and the internal pressure has been increased, requiring less fuel to produce the same thrust.
The motors are rated for a maximum of 110,000 lbs of thrust, which is less than the old GE90. This is because the new wings provide more lift, meaning that this plane requires less thrust to achieve the same performance. But that doesn’t mean that the GE9X is a weak performer. In fact, during testing, it set a new world record when it produced 134,300 lbs of thrust. It’s the most powerful commercial jet engine ever made, and it’s only rated for a lower thrust figure than the GE90 because this is all that its airplane needs.
Recent GE engines
Applications
GE90
Boeing 777
Engine Alliance GP7200
Airbus A380
GEnx
Boeing 747-8, Boeing 787
CFM LEAP
Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX, Comac C919
GE9X
Boeing 777X
The benefit of the engine being rated at this low thrust figure is that it will be less stressed. It produces significantly less power in normal operations than it can achieve. This will improve the long-term durability of the engine, increasing the time between maintenance cycles, and lowering costs. Furthermore, the nacelle is laminar flow, just like the 787, which improves aerodynamics and reduces fuel burn.
