Boeing's announcement: it will be Lufthansa that gets the first 777x. But-here's why it may not be the first to put it into service
There has been speculation for at least seven years about which airline will receive the first Boeing 777X. [...]
Singapore Airlines
Qatar Airways
Lufthansa
Etihad Airways
Ethiopian Airlines
Emirates
Cathay Pacific
British Airways
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
Air India
They are at least seven years speculating on Which will be the first airline to receive the first Boeing 777X. In the past few hours, finally, Boeing's Chief Financial Officer Brian West, definitively dispelled any doubts, stating that The first plane will go to Germany's Lufthansa in 2026.
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However, the CFO of the U.S. manufacturer was not more specific regarding the delivery date after Boeing's CEO a few weeks ago had stated that. no 777X would be delivered in 2025 And that it would be 'slipped' to 2026 because of thelengthening the time required for certification of the aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Who will be the launch customer of the Boeing 777x
Lufthansa has thus 'beaten' the competition, and in particular Emirates, to deliver the first example of the 2.0 version of the highly popular 'Triple Seven.' And who knows, Boeing's choice may not have 'fallen' on the Germans to recompense them, at least in part, for the delays in the delivery of new Boeing aircraft that are severely penalizing Lufthansa's fleet renewal, as CEO Carsten Spohr himself recently pointed out.
However, it is not certain that she will then be the first to actually put the airplane into service. The German carrier is encountering huge problems with FAA certification of its new Allegris cabins, which are mounted on about 15 Boeing 787-9s that have been stuck between Everett and Charleston for months.
Allegris, particularly in its First and Business Class cabins, is unique in the world of commercial aviation, With seats and spaces customized in every detail.
Easa, the European Flight Safety Authority, a few months ago gave the green light to the Allegris mounted on Lufthansa's Airbus A350s (while 'delaying, again due to certification issues, The installation on those aircraft of the First Class cabin.).
But the A350 is a European aircraft, unlike the 787 and 777, which are instead American-built and whose certification (including of the interior) depends on the FAA.
However, at the moment, Lufthansa has earned the title of 'launch customer' of the most anticipated aircraft in years: the Frankfurt-based carrier has ordered a total of 27 Boeing 777X, in an order that includes both the -9 passenger version and the shorter -8 all-cargo version.
According to Boeing's official data, the 777X program has so far received 481 orders from 12 companies and one customer currently 'undisclosed', i.e., not disclosed. More than half of those 481 orders came to her from the two 'Gulf giants' Emirates and Qatar Airways, which took a combined 205 and 94, respectively. Curiously, no U.S. carrier has ordered it so far. And no carrier that is part of the Skyteam alliance.
Who has ordered the Boeing 777x to date.
Here is The full list of companies that have so far ordered the Boeing 777X and the number of aircraft expected from each:
- Emirates: 205
- Qatar Airways: 94
- Singapore Airlines: 31
- Lufthansa: 27
- Etihad Airways: 25
- Cathay Pacific Airways: 21
- British Airways: 18
- All Nippon Airways: 18
- Unidentified customer: 12
- Air India: 10
- Cargolux: 10
- Ethiopian Airlines: 8
- Silk Way West Airlines: 2
