Why is the Boeing 777-200LR needed?

Question

i know its a great plane and its my favourite (cant wait for air canada to get theirs) but is it really needed? i mean i was looking on the some sites to see what routes airlines would be running it and then i checked the great circle mapper site and there isnt a distance that a 777-200ER or 777-300ER couldnt really cover.

Answer 1

Trust me, Boeing knows they will have a customer to at least make up the cost of the program... They wouldnt want to give up market shares to Airbus however when they can build what the airlines want... you also need to look at the cargo versions of the airplane, when full with cargo, they cant make anywhere near the passenger config. max range... therefore, more range might mean an extra thousand miles for cargo ops...

Answer 2

I agree with pops. It is a niche. Boeing competes with Airbus and vice versa. Every plane that is in Boeing's fleet competes with a competitive product in Airbus's.

Why does Boeing need a 737 short field aircraft (runway less than 5000 feet)? It fits a niche. Airbus had a monopoly on short field aircraft that fit the 737 size niche like the A319. Boeing needed to figure out something in order to compete and they did.

Why did Airbus take such a gamble and build the A380? Because they never had anything that could compete with the 747. I think this is something Airbus was really pissed off about at the start.

But creating airplanes also creates problems too. By designing the 777 freighter, how much money do you lose because now they (customers) want to buy that instead of the 747F? Instead of spending money on a 767 tanker, why not develop a 777 tanker.

But since I am just a worker bee and don't have any input into any product designs or future products, I can only watch and hope that the decisions of the company are the right ones down the road.

Answer 3

Australia has no 777's, but this'll change in about 2 years.

Personally, i don't like the 777 for many reasons.

However, these long range, mid size aircraft are becoming increasingly popular. Not many airlines, particularly in America use 747's and most don't plan in getting any A380's. This is purely because the market is changing. People don't want to be put in a workhorse and shuttled from hub to hub and then connect to their destination. 777's, 787's, 767's, A330's etc. have changed this by allowing airlines to go to smaller airports and use less of the giant aircraft.

Answer 4

Different airlines have different needs as far as route length and capacity. Pakistan Int. for example wanted a plane that could fly somewhat longer route lengths. At first Boeing thought about shrinking the 777-200 ER to allow it to carry fewer passengers and more fuel for longer routes. An increase in engine power made shrinking the fuselage unnecessary. More thrust lets them get more weight (fuel) into the air thereby using the same size platform. that is capable of longer flight.

Answer 5

It's not just the actual flight range, but also the time it takes to refuel, and fuel prices around the world.

If you can fly a round trip before refueling instead of refueling at every stop, you'll save the refueling labor charges, as well as any difference in prices assuming you do the double-amount fillup at the cheaper location. The LR gives the airlines ability to fly MORE trips before needing to refuel while still maintaining the proper reserves.

Think of it this way: say the United "home" terminal is in San Francisco. It has a huge fuel depot there, as much fuel as any of its aircraft needs. (just an example!) So it would be to the airline's advantage to have as many planes to refuel in San Francisco as possible instead of having to refuel elsewhere (and pays someone else's prices!) Having a longer-ranged plane gives the airline that flexibility to gain extra stops before needing to refuel.

Answer 6

Every plane that is designed meets a market demand. Boeing does research on how long a plane needs to fly, how long it can be in the air before it has to be retired, how many passengers to get the most money for the least cost, etc. It is similar to cars, we all could drive the same car, but demand says I want to carry 4 passengers while you want the sports car for only 2 people.

Answer 7

The 777 is a great plane. If a big airline wants to get one, it is needed.

Answer 8

It's not just the range that may have gone up but the ability to carry more passengers.

Answer 9

Every seat has a power outlet, even in economy.

Answer 10

cause it's fun