6/26/1995: Launch of the Boeing 777-300

[In The News]

DALLAS – Today in Aviation, the launch of the Boeing 777-300 aircraft took place in 1995 after the company had announced the type at the Paris Air Show.

The triple seven 300 series had to wait two more years to enter service. With its almost 1,000 nautical-mile range and 50 more seats, it was larger in range and passenger capacity than its predecessor, the Boeing 777-200.

Thai Airways Economy Class on Boeing 777-300. Photo: David McKelvey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Boeing 777 Program

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Having been in the manufacturing market since the 1970s, the Boeing company realized nearly two decades later that the airline planning requirements had changed to become more specific. As a result, by 1986, Boeing had proposed its 767-X aircraft with a longer fuselage and larger wings.

However, the market demanded a wider fuselage alongside flexible interior configurations, with variations in range capability and lower operating costs. Consequently, Boeing decided to develop a new aircraft design with a twin-engine configuration, taking advantage of its prior success and reduced-cost benefits.

This was the bedrock for the launch of the Boeing 777 program at the beginning of the 90s. For the next three decades, the series 200, 300, and 777F and their variations have flown all over the world and continue in production with its latest iteration, the Boeing 777X.

Cathay Pacific B-HNK Boeing 777-300. Photo: Brandon Farris/Airways

Launching of the Boeing 777-300

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After five years of the 777 program and with series 200 in the market, Boeing’s board of directors authorized the production of the 777-300. However, while Boeing announced the launch of the aircraft on June 26, 1995, the assembly of the model did not start until April 1997.

In September of ’97, the 777-300 was ready, making its first flight the month after. By the following year, Cathay Pacific Airways (CX) had received the first delivery of the type.

Air France B777-300ER. Photo: Milan Witham/Airways

Boeing 777-300 Improvements

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At the time the type was introduced in the market, it was powered by two General Electric GE90, Pratt & Whitney PW4000, or Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines.

By the 2000s, a variation of the twinjet was developed. The Boeing 777-300ER’s first delivery took place in 2004 with Air France (AF) as its first customer.

Besides the increased range of the new model of almost 2,000 nautical miles and a larger wingspan, both the -300 and the -300ER are similar. Further, the seating capacity for both models could be expanded depending on their configuration.

Boeing 777-300 Specifications

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The Boeing 777-300 features 368 seats and a range of 5,700 nautical miles (10,500 km). In dimensions, it has a length of 73.9m, 18,5m in height, and a 60,9m wingspan.

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Featured image: Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300. Photo: Sean Brink/Airways

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