dailynewsnblog
The Boeing 777X continues to be delayed long past its initial 2020 launch date. The 777-9 is expected to enter commercial service in 2027. The 777-8F will follow two years later, which will be 25 years after the first 777-300ER entered the market. The 777-8 passenger variant is expected to be introduced even later than that. Any additional variants, such as a proposed stretched 777X, will enter the market after the 777X flies for a bit in commercial service.
Boeing launched the 777X program in 2013, meaning the aircraft will not begin delivery until 14 years later. For context, the Dreamliner was launched in 2004 and delivered in 2011. As a result, a question emerges: Will the 777X already be obsolete when it enters commercial service?
Boeing has strongly opposed such suggestions, with the aircraft appearing at air shows again now that an additional 777X has joined the flight test program. CobyExplanes recently sat down with Boeing’s Darren Hulst, VP of Communications and Marketing, to discuss this problem. The Boeing executive assured viewers that “these are not second-rate or obsolete technologies” and that the 777X will still have relevance. I break down the arguments he makes below to conclude that the 777X will not be outdated, but only if it can keep to its scheduled 2027 first delivery.
A Favorable Landscape
One defense given by Hulst is that there are a number of reasons that innovations have not occurred as rapidly as they may have done while Boeing awaited 777X certification. He points to a regulatory environment that slows the rate of innovations and to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of the 14 years that the 777X will have been in development before delivery were lost for both direct research & development and the resourcing and supply chains needed to sustain aircraft development. Furthermore, the Boeing 777-300ER, the aircraft Boeing expects to replace with the 777X, was only nine years old when the 777X was launched. That wasn’t close to the end of its service life, so Boeing didn’t have to rush out an inadequate jet to replace it.
The 777X is also aided by the fact that it is entering a post-COVID world that it is particularly well-suited to. The 777X has a vast amount of volume aboard, which lends itself to premium products. That means the aircraft is well-adjusted for the current demands for first, business class, and premium economy. The enormous size of the 777X also positions itself as a step up from the 777-300ER and a step-down replacement from the A380 simultaneously. Hulst suggests that 1,500 aircraft in need of replacement could be targeted by 777Xs in the coming years.
Boeing is also standing firm where it doesn’t believe the market is worth following. Airbus has rolled out its Airspace cabin, a uniform brand for its cabin that stems from the Airbus A350 to ensure consistency across all of its new jets. Meanwhile, Boeing allows the 777X greater flexibility with its ABC philosophy – “airplane for people, by design, connected to the sky” – that each jet has a different way of achieving.
Technology That Stands The Test Of Time
Hulst said: “We’ve made sure we are adapting to things in our environment: the technologies and the onboard product that airlines expect.” Yet, he was cautious not to advertise any new technologies coming in. However, he was unequivocal that the 777X would avoid becoming swiftly outdated with strong technologies, notably the cabin and engines. Hulst boldly claimed that the 777X’s General Electric GE9X is a more advanced engine than the A350’s geared turbofans.
Hulst is certainly correct that the GE9X is a unique product. It is the largest commercial aviation engine ever built. It has an astonishing diameter of 161 inches (409 cm), larger than the Boeing 737’s fuselage. Each jet has 16 composite blades that are 134 inches (340 cm) in diameter. The engine uses advanced materials, including ceramic mix composites, that allow it to simultaneously be light and strong. All this, combined with a high bypass ratio of 10:1 and a compression ratio of 60:1, has made the engine 10% more fuel efficient than the GE90.
The table below shows specifications for the GE9X, as per General Electric Aerospace’s data:
|
Core speed |
11,119 RPM |
|---|---|
|
Total parts |
35,370 |
|
Length |
220 inches (560 cm) |
|
Reduction of NOx emissions versus the nearest engine in class |
50% |
|
Emission reduction vs regulatory requirements |
50% |
|
Fuel consumption improvement versus the nearest twin-aisle jet engine |
5% |
Such an enormous engine is needed because of the 777X’s size and Boeing’s insistence on powering it with just two turbofans. The engine can produce 110,000 lbf, needed to lift the aircraft family’s huge maximum takeoff weight of 775,000 to 805,000 lbs (351,530 to 365,150 kg).
The Boeing 777X’s GE9X: Inside The Largest Engine Ever Built
The Boeing 777X is currently set to enter commercial service in 2026.
A Chance To Explore Additional Variants
The long time between launch and delivery has also created opportunities for Boeing to explore further variants than the currently developing 777-9, 777-8 and 777-8F. One option is the stretched 777X, which will be known as the 777-10. Hulst responded, “Never say never,” to questions on this. Boeing will be able to explore the feasibility of such variants once data is available from the 777X’s commercial operations.The 777-10 would stretch the -9 by four rows of seating. That would allow the aircraft to accommodate 450 passengers, enough for the family to be a more compelling replacement for the Airbus A380 and to compete with a proposed stretched version of the A350. In the Reddit post embedded below, users explore what carriers might be able to achieve with this additional space:
Several airlines, including Emirates, have been approached regarding the 777-10. It renewed its interest in November 2025, encouraging Boeing to conduct a feasibility study. The manufacturer has also confirmed that the GE9X delivers sufficient power for the stretched variant. Boeing has no reason not to develop it if there is significant interest.
777-300ER Big Twin Will Buy Boeing More Time
Boeing has introduced ‘The Big Twin’, a freighter conversion of a 777-300ER. This is a sign that the 777-300ER is reaching the end of its life in commercial aviation, and carriers have begun to phase them out. Yet, it is also a move that buys Boeing time before the first deliveries of the 777-8F, expected sometime around 2029 or 2030.
Yet, the 777-300ERSF ‘Big Twin’ is more than a stopgap. In the next 5–10 years, there will be over 300 747 freighters in need of replacement, according to Hulst. There is plenty of space in the market for both jets.
The table below shows capacity specifications for the 777X and 777-300ERSF, according to data collected by Coby Explanes. Please note that the data relating to the 777-8F remains subject to change until the aircraft begins to be delivered:
|
Aircraft |
777-300ERSF |
777-8F |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Volume |
28,600 cubic feet (810 cubic meters) |
27,000 cubic feet (765 cubic meters) |
|
Payload |
220,000 lbs (99,800 kg) |
247,500 lbs (112,300 kg) |
|
Density |
7.7 lbs per cubic foot (123 kg per cubic meter) |
9.2 lbs per cubic foot (147 kg per cubic meter) |
The data from this table shows how the ‘Big Twin’ and the 777-300ERSF will occupy subtly different areas of the market once both aircraft are operational, giving them both long-term viability. The 777-300ERSF is slightly bigger by volume than the 777-8F will be, yet it can carry lighter payloads. That makes the aircraft suitable for large, low-density loads. Meanwhile, the 777-8F’s characteristics are suitable for smaller but denser loads. Hulst believes this will be desirable for cargo firms serving e-commerce retailers, as these retailers have become far more efficient at packaging goods in recent years.
Which Airlines Have Ordered The Boeing 777X? A Complete List
Around a dozen airlines have placed orders for around 500 Boeing 777X, with the first set for delivery in 2026.
Will The 777X Become Outdated Before Delivery?
The broad conclusion to come to on the question of whether the 777X will become outdated by the time it is delivered is that it will not. However, that assumes deliveries will start in 2027, as is currently expected by Boeing. The manufacturer had promised delivery dates before that it has not been able to keep.
One factor that could affect Boeing’s 777X delivery plans is durability concerns with the GE9X engines. Boeing identified the problem during a recent inspection. The manufacturer hasn’t released substantial information on these problems and claims that they won’t cause further delays. However, it does reveal that the 777X program is still a long way from being out of the woods.
Close followers of the troubled 777X program will likely not bat an eyelash on hearing of further problems. More concerning issues have emerged and been dealt with in the past. For example, in 2024, Boeing grounded its 777X test fleet after finding cracks in the aircraft’s thrust links. The test fleet didn’t take to the skies again until 2025. The manufacturer has also encountered engine-specific issues. For example, compressor issues meant the 777-9’s first flight was delayed from 2019 to 2020.
