Move over Dreamliner! The next big thing in the airline industry is the 777X. The new Boeing jet was launched at the 2013 Dubai Airshow and had a record-breaking number of orders.
Gulf carriers placed huge orders for the Boeing 777X. There were 259 agreements from four different airline to purchase the new place.
The biggest order was placed by Emirates with 150 airplanes. Qatar Airways ordered 50 planes. Etihad Airways ordered 25 and Lufthansa picked up 34 orders. The combined value of the orders came to $95 billion.
"We are proud to partner with each of these esteemed airlines to launch the 777X - the largest and most-efficient twin-engine jetliner in the world," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Ray Conner. "Its ground-breaking engine technologies and all-new composite wing will deliver unsurpassed value and growth potential to our customers."
The Boeing 777X is an upgrade to the market-leading 777, which makes up 55 percent of market share and 71 percent of the in-service fleet worldwide. There are multiple versions of the 777X including the 777-8X and the 777-9X.
The 777-8X competes directly with the A350-1000, while the 777-9X is in a class by itself. The 777-9X offers seating for more than 400 passengers, depending on an airline's configuration choices. The plane will have the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial plane as it has a range of more than 8,200 nautical miles. The 777-8X will be the most flexible jet in the world. It seats 350 passengers and offers an incredible range capability of more than 9,300 nautical miles.
"The airplane will build on the market-leading 777 and will provide superior operating economics," said Conner. "The airplane will be 12 percent more fuel efficient than any competing airplane, necessary in today's competitive environment."
The 777X is loaded with top-notch technology. It comes with most advanced commercial engine ever - the GE9X by GE Aviation - and an all-new high-efficiency composite wing that has a longer span than today's 777.
The 777X will officially be named at another date. It is expected to be produced in 2017 and will be delivered in 2020.
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