777F delivers value ahead of new emissions standards

While FedEx celebrated its fiftieth new 777F delivery from Boeing at the end of August, the planemaker quietly passed a milestone of its own in July when it delivered the 250th 777F it had produced. It is clear the jet freighter fleet of the future will be based on twin-engine airframes. With the exception of 747-400Fs and 747-8Fs that possess nose-loading capabilities, and niche aircraft like Antonovs, the next generation of large widebody freighters will consist of A350Fs, 777-8Fs, and 777-300ER and -200LR conversions, all of which are in development and awaiting certification. [caption id="attachment_56865202" align="alignright" width="450"] The first 777F was delivered in 2009. (Photo/Boeing)[/caption] While these newer programs undergo the approval process, Boeing’s current-generation 777F program continues to take orders and deliver to customers globally. Most of these customers already operate the type, and some have begun phasing out their older quad- and tri-engine widebody freighters. Boeing is prohibited from producing the 777F beyond 2027 due to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CO2 emissions standard, and there is limited short-term availability of twin-engine, large widebody freighters. Therefore, carriers have been keen to top up their 777F order books to expand or renew their fleets, although recent activity has been tempered by a dwindling market. Strength in numbers As of Aug. 31, Boeing has delivered 253 777Fs. They are distributed across twenty-five operators with the exclusion of two: one destroyed after a fire in 2020 and one parked in Russia. The top five operators are FedEx, Qatar Airways, AeroLogic, China Southern Airlines and China Cargo Airlines, and they account for more than half the global fleet. No operator has fewer than two units. Boeing had sixty-nine 777Fs on its order backlog at the end of July. These include three it delivered to China Airlines and FedEx in August, as well as units linked to orders with questionable status from customers like LATAM Airlines Brasil, Volga-Dnepr UK and Western Global Airlines that remain on the list for now. Orders in the backlog are mostly for existing customers: Air China, Atlas Air, China Airlines, DHL, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, FedEx, Lufthansa and Qatar Airways. A global footprint — almost The 777F is present in the world’s major regions except Latin America. The Asia-Pacific region is home to the most 777Fs, with seventy-six aircraft across ten operators; North America is second with seventy-one 777Fs across four operators; Europe has forty-nine across six operators; The Middle East has forty-six across four carriers; and The only African operator, Ethiopian Airlines, has nine units. For an individual country, the United States tops the list, while China is second but has the most operators. Germany and Qatar follow. It is noteworthy that, apart from the U.S. and China, all other countries with 777Fs only have two operators at most. A timeline of deliveries When Boeing delivered the first 777Fs in 2009, the production freighter began serving densely populated regions within Europe and the U.S., with five of the first sixteen aircraft entering service with FedEx. After its first year of production, Boeing placed fifty-six 777Fs into service over the next three years, with thirty-three of the widebody freighters going to lessors and operators in the U.S., ten to the Middle East, six to Europe and five to China. Boeing ended 2013 with fourteen deliveries, but would see its lowest 777F delivery cycle to date over the next four years. During this period, the planemaker delivered a total of sixty-six 777Fs, nineteen of which were in 2015, only to fall short of reaching double-digit deliveries two years later with just nine aircraft in 2017. Although 777F deliveries appeared to be on the decline from 2014 through 2017, Boeing’s delivery log reflected a shift in its global customer base, with twenty-three production freighters delivered over the four-year period to Asia, twenty-one to the Middle East, ten to the U.S. and Europe, and six to unidentified customers. In 2019, just before the pandemic, Boeing’s 777F deliveries surged to twenty-five aircraft, the most the planemaker has delivered in a single year. While 777F deliveries dropped to sixteen in 2021, Boeing’s delivery count has not fallen below ten aircraft since 2017, bringing the production freighter’s average delivery rate from 2009 through August 2023 to seventeen aircraft per year. New deliveries, new operators As 2023 nears its final quarter, Boeing has delivered fifteen 777Fs to seven customers year to date. Eight were delivered to Chinese customers, accounting for 53% of this year’s new 777F deliveries to date. [caption id="attachment_56865201" align="alignright" width="450"] FedEx has fifty-five 777Fs. (Photo/FedEx)[/caption] FedEx reached a major milestone last month when it took delivery of its fiftieth new 777F direct from Boeing. The express company is the largest 777F operator worldwide with fifty-five in service. It has commitments for four more of the twin-engine production freighters with an option for twenty-three. In addition to China’s three major airline groups — Air China, China Eastern and China Southern — which have each taken new 777Fs in 2023, Boeing delivered two units to a new Chinese operator: China Postal Airlines , which has never flown widebodies before and was previously unidentified on Boeing’s backlog. It wasn’t until April that Boeing logged its first order of the year from an unidentified customer. The manufacturer finished the second quarter with four more 777F orders attributed to unidentified customers. However, this year also saw a cancellation in July from HNA Group subsidiary Hong Kong International Aviation Leasing, which had placed an order with Boeing in 2011 for six 777Fs. After gaining China Postal Airlines as a new 777F operator in early 2023, Boeing is set to add another by yearend, with delivery of the first of five to Azerbaijan-based Silk Way West in a matter of weeks. Other customers with 777Fs on order that are new to the type include Maersk and Air Canada. With two Atlas Air 777Fs providing ACMI service to launch the air cargo division of Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Co., the shipping and logistics company is set to make Italy-based AlisCargo Airlines the newest 777F operator to enter service after acquiring a major stake in the airline. As Cargo Facts reported in August, MSC expects to become the sole owner of AlisCargo, which plans to place its first production 777F on its own certificate in early 2024. The final leg of production As the end of 2023 approaches, the 777F is on pace for delivery of a couple more units this year, while the reality of halting the production line for the widebody freighter looms on the horizon for Boeing. For now, operators are expediting the retirement of older widebody freighters and placing orders for the 777F, which is expected to remain a preferred replacement option over the next couple of years as part of the industry’s transition to twin-engine cargo aircraft. The IAI, KMC and Mammoth 777-300ER and -200LR freighter conversion programs are each working toward STC approval, while Airbus and Boeing are still a few years away from unveiling the first A350Fs and 777-8Fs. Against this backdrop, Cargo Facts expects to see orders continue to trickle in for the 777F as production of the type enters its sunset years and Boeing looks to bridge the gap between the current-generation 777 and the new 777X. Cargo Facts Symposium, taking place Oct. 25-27 at the Omni San Diego, is the essential event for stakeholders in the freighter and air cargo industry. Learn more and register today to take advantage of our early-bird sale.

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