Boeing unceremoniously brought production of its 777-300ER to a close in late 2024 with the final delivery to Ethiopian Airlines. While not the end of the Boeing 777’s story, the delivery effectively closed the door on one chapter of the aircraft’s passenger operations and capped production before the manufacturer’s latest variants of the family would arrive.

All told, over 1,300 777 variants are currently in service around the globe, according to Boeing, while the number built totals close to 1,800, leaving the aircraft among the most successful widebodies to have ever been developed. Indeed, Boeing has sought to build on the jet’s success through the as-yet uncertified Boeing 777X, which is currently expected to enter service next year with Lufthansa. Notwithstanding further delays which have pushed the 777X’s debut back by seven years so far, the latest generation’s arrival will ultimately help to push out its predecessors. So, with so many of these still about, what will happen to today’s Boeing 777 fleet?

Numbers Dwindling After Production End

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An end to 777-300ER production at Boeing’s Everett, Washington factory in 2024 paved the way for the space to eventually be used for building 777Xs. Following the Ethiopian delivery and the only 777-300ER order fulfilled over the year, Boeing got to work on just this and has actually begun rolling out models in preparation for when certification is secured from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Per The Seattle Times, Boeing had already built 22 customer versions of the 777X, alongside four test models, which were parked and awaiting delivery as of late last year. However, certification is yet to be secured, as mentioned, and the number of active 777s peaked for the time being with the final Ethiopian delivery.

According to Ch-aviation, some 131 Boeing 777s had already been scrapped as of mid-2025. Most of these were earlier variants, such as the 777-200 and 777-200ER, that had been delivered way back in the mid-to-late nineties. Retiring an aircraft can mean many differing things in practice, though, and far from all aircraft axed by airlines end up being scrapped. Offering outgoing models to other operators is another option, alongside converting them into freighters.

Passenger-to-Freighter Conversions Have Already Begun

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A likely destiny for many of today’s passenger 777s is in fact conversion into freight aircraft. As is common across the industry, freight carriers often look to the secondary market and outgoing passenger jets to use as workhorses for cargo operations.

Israel Aerospace Industries last September made headlines after carrying out the first passenger-to-freighter conversion of a Boeing 777 aircraft. This effectively brought to life one of the largest freighter aircraft of today, dubbed the B777-300ERSF, capable of carrying a 100-ton payload. Leasing giant AerCap delivered the first of these converted jets to US-based Kalitta Air in September. One key reason for such conversions is that the aircraft offers a more cost-effective replacement for the likes of aging Boeing 747 freighters.

Boeing 777 passenger variant specifications:

Now, one might be thinking, did Boeing not develop the 777F specifically for the needs of cargo airlines? Yes, it did. But demand for such aircraft is only set to increase with the planned end of 777F production in 2027. Add on high market retention of passenger aircraft, in part due to manufacturers’ delays, and a need to get creative in sourcing freighters has emerged.

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Other Plans In The Works For Repurposing

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The 777-300ER is not the only variant from the family set to see a shift from passenger to freight operations. In May last year, Qatar Airways Cargo disclosed an agreement with lessor Jetran for the first Mammoth Freighters 777-200LRMF.

The converted prototype, developed out of the 777-200LR, was said to have successfully completed its initial test flight at the time. Fort Worth-based Aspire MRO carried out the conversion in partnership with Mammoth. This, it was said by Mammoth chief executive Bill Tarpley, aimed “to deliver one of the world’s most productive and economical long-range freighters.”

That is far from it in terms of passenger 777 variants being used for hauling goods, though. The Covid-19 pandemic naturally saw passenger demand slump, and several jets were hastily repurposed as makeshift freighters as a result. British Airways, Air New Zealand, and Jin Air are all examples of carriers that stripped 777-200ERs of their seats to fulfill cargo operations during the pandemic.

Second-Tier Operations

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If not put up for conversion, many of today’s 777 fleet might receive a new lease of life with service at different airlines. Known as second-tier operations, aircraft often end up in the hands of smaller airlines or regional carriers that operate in the shadow of major airlines, but they can also move between the latter.

As with several products across various industries, aircraft can change hands several times over the course of their lifetimes, especially when you factor in lessors buying and effectively renting out jets. This has already happened with a range of 777s. Singapore-based BOC Aviation, a lessor, announced in March 2025 that it was to sell four 777-300ERs to Thai Airways International. A further seven of the aircraft were already leased to Thai by BOC, according to Airfinance Global.

Scrapped Boeing 777 Aircraft by Variant as of mid-2025, from Ch-aviation:

All this goes to say, deals for existing jets are constantly in the works, and the 777 is no exception. For reference, the four oldest 777-300ERs leased to Thai in this case were said to have a combined value of $220 million as of mid-2025, per Airfinance Global. So, value is still there in the secondary market, and how long older 777 variants remain in the skies depends largely on the eventual certification and rollout of Boeing’s 777Xs.

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Part Harvesting, Recycling, And The ‘Boneyard’

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Older models, like the 777-200s and 777- 200ERs touched on above, often inevitably cannot be repurposed for freight use or sold on to other airlines. Well over 100 777s have already been sent for scrap, as mentioned, and it is here that the dreaded “boneyard” comes into play.

Here, deserts like Victorville and Mojave are used to store stripped-down, retired aircraft because of their dry conditions, where corrosion is kept to a minimum. Aircraft face an indefinite stay once on site, as airlines cannibalize what is left to put components to work elsewhere.

These still have an important role to play, though, despite appearing on the surface to have been left for good. It is said that around 90% of any aircraft can be recycled and repurposed, so from those older 777s that have faced the desert, parts are more than likely flying in some form today on newer jets, and this will continue for years to come.

Extensions Likely Well Into Thirties

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Given repeated delays within the 777X program, the fact of the matter is that a large proportion of older variants from within the family are unlikely to disappear any time soon. Realistically, it is far from certain that the 777X will arrive next year as currently planned. A score of issues have pushed certification back over and over again during the past seven years from an original launch date planned for 2020, so it really is a case of time will tell whether new 777 models will be with airlines so soon.

What this means for carriers is that improvisation is key as they await the 777X, of which around 600 have already been ordered. That could translate to buying more existing 777s or simply refurbishing those already in fleets, among several options. In either case, existing 777s will remain a key part of airlines’ fleets moving into the 2030s.

Discussing the secondary market for the 777-300ER, Cirium global consultancy head Rob Morris noted last July: “Certification and delivery continue to drive short- and medium-term demand. Even once the 777-9 is delivered, it will be several years before demand for 777-300ER softens as the installed -9 fleet becomes significant.”