The 900th 777 to roll off the assembly line taxis toward a test flight at Paine Field. (Photo by David Lilienthal)
The Boeing Company on Wednesday announced that it delivered its 900th 777 airplane to Ethiopian Airlines, the first of five that the air carrier ordered in 2009.
“With the delivery of its first 777-200LR (ET-ANN), Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to operate the world’s most technologically advanced and longest-range airplane,” said Ethiopian Airlines CEO Ato Girma Wake. “This further reaffirms our commitment to be the leader of aviation in Africa.”
Ethiopian Airlines is investing in additional aircraft to broaden its network. The Addis Ababa-based company will use the Boeing 777-200LR for its new nonstop service from Washington D.C. and for its new long-haul nonstop routes like Beijing, China.
“The 777-200LR is the only airplane that provides the range and efficiency that Ethiopian needs to service its long-haul routes,” said Larry Loftis, vice president and general manager, 777 program.
The 777 program reached the 900-airplane milestone faster than any other twin-aisle airplane in history. The airplane’s performance and comfortable interior have made it the world’s most popular twin-engine long-haul commercial jetliner. The 777 program has had 1,165 orders from 61 customers worldwide.
The Boeing 777-200LR is capable of carrying passengers and cargo farther than any other jetliner. It is also capable of connecting any two cities in the globe nonstop. The 777-200LR can also carry a full cargo load on routes where other airplanes are payload limited.
Provisions for up to three optional fuel tanks have been added in the aft cargo area of the 777-200LR to be able to fly a range of 9,395 nautical miles (17,395 kilometers) with full passenger payload (301 passengers).
“As one of the premier airlines in Africa and around the world, Ethiopian has long used Boeing airplanes as a tool for achieving our business goals,” Wake said. “The strategic long-range feature of the 777-200LR will again help Ethiopian expand our network and is a perfect complement to the 787s that are on order.”
