Both the 777 and 787 were designed to replace the ageing 747, 757 and 767s. For some routes, different airlines employ either the 777 or the 787, tearing the avgeek community apart.
Since the 777’s introduction, and later the 787’s introduction, many in the aviation community have began to wonder, which is better- the 777 or the 787?
Boeing 777 vs 787: The Basics
Before we can compare the 777 and the 787, we first need to know some background for both the 777 and 787.
777
In the 1970’s, the jet age was in full swing. The 1970’s also saw the beginning of the widebody jet age. The 747 was introduced in 1969, followed by the DC-10 and L-1011 TriStar.
Boeing wanted a widebody jet that could compete on the medium to long haul routes that the L-1011 and DC-10 were operating, that the 747SP couldn’t quite operate to.
As such, Boeing began devising a trijet that would compete with the two other widebody trijets. Originally, the 777 was designed to also be a trijet, however during the 1980’s, ETOPS laws were relaxed, and the 777 was redesigned as a twin jet.
By the time the 777 was released, after its redesign, both the DC-10 and the L-1011 were approaching retirement age. As such, airlines were looking for a replacement, which they found in the 777 and/or the MD-11.
After many airlines were interested in the aircraft that would become the 777-200, it was announced that United Airlines would become the launch customer. The first 777 was delivered to United in June 1995.
Since then, the 777 has been lengthened and re-developed several times. Boeing has mainly lengthened the aircraft, as seen with the transformation between the 777-200 and 777-300 or got new engines as seen between the 777-200 and 777-200LR.
787
The late 1990’s were a slow time for many companies, the airline industry in particular. As such, orders for the 747-400 and the 767 began to slow- they were just too expensive to operate.
As such, Boeing began to consider a new replacement for the 747 and 767. They came up with two replacements- the 747X (a lengthened 747-400) and the Sonic Cruiser (an all-new supersonic aircraft).
There wasn’t much interest in a lengthened 747, but many airlines were interested in the Sonic Cruiser. But then 9/11 happened. This shook the airline industry to its core, and put many off flying for a while.
This caused most airline to take a look at the Sonic Cruiser once again. Instead of wanting more speed, airlines were more interested in economics, and they told Boeing as much.
As such, Boeing re-designed the Sonic Cruiser to travel subsonic and have a more conventional design. When Boeing released these plans to airlines, it was the most fuel efficient aircraft to have ever been designed!
As such, many airlines became interested in the 787. It was soon announced that ANA would be the launch customer of the 787. The 787 was introduced with ANA in October 2011. Two further variants of the 787- the 787-9 and 787-10 were developed.
Boeing 777 vs 787: Specs
Both the 777 and 787 are very similar in terms of specifications. Although several variants of both the 777 and the 787 exist, these specifications will include those from the most common variants of the 777 and 787.
The most common variant of the 777 is the 777-300. The most common variant of the 787 is the 787-9.
| Specifications | 777-300 | 787-9 |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 242 ft 4 in (73.86 m) | 206 ft 1 in (62.81 m) |
| Width | 19 ft 3 in (5.86 m) | 18 ft 11 in (5.77 m) |
| Height | 60 ft 20 in (18.5 m) | 55 ft 10 in (17.02 m) |
| Seats | 368-396 | 290-406 |
| Cruise Speed | Mach 0.84 (482 kn; 892 km/h) | Mach 0.85 (488 kn; 903 km/h) |
| Range | 6,030 nmi (6,939 mi, 11,165 km) | 7,635 nmi (8,786 mi, 14,140 km) |
| MTOW | 775,000 lb / 351,533 kg | 560,000 lb / 254,011 kg |
| Takeoff | 10,000 ft (3,050 m) | 9,300 ft (2,800 m) |
Boeing 777 vs 787: Safety
When it comes to comparing the 777 and the 787, we first need to look at their safety record. After all, in recent years, Boeing’s safety record has com in to question on several occasions.
777
As of the time of writing, the 777 is considered one of the safest aircraft on the planet. To date, the 777 has been involved in 28 aviation incidents resulting in 541 fatalities.
The 777 was first introduced in 1994, but the first accident didn’t happen until September 5 2001 (only days before 9/11). This accident took place at Denver International Airport, with a British Airways 777.
Perhaps the most famous 777 accident was Asiana Airlines Flight 214, on July 6 2013. The aircraft crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport, luckily no one died, but the fire did destroy the aircraft itself.
In fact, the newest variant (currently) in service- the 777-300ER has only had one accident to date, all with no fatalities or injuries. The 777-300ER will be replaced by the 777X.
Boeing, as well as most aviation industry analysts, expects that the 777X will be even safer than the 777-300ER.
787
As of the time of writing, the 787 too is considered one of the safest aircraft models you can fly on. To date, the 787 has only been involved in a meager six aviation incidents resulting in a grand total of zero fatalities.
The first 787s were introduced in October 2011 but the first accident wasn’t until July 2013. This happened when a fire started on an empty Ethiopian Airlines 787 parked at Heathrow Airport, there were no injuries or fatalities.
Perhaps the most famous aviation incident involving the 787 was one with a Norwegian Air Shuttle 787. On board one of their flights, passengers noticed a fuel leak, which was reported. This caused a 19-hour delay.
However, this does not mean that the 787 was free from problems. The 787 famously had an issue with the lithium-ion batteries which were known to catch on fire, causing delays and diversions mid-flight.
With that being said, the issue was soon fixed in 2014, after Boeing and the battery manufacturers recalled the 787s to do work on the batteries. The NTSB has since criticized both Boeing and the FAA for this issue.
Boeing 777 vs 787: Comfort
Comfort often depends on the airline you fly, and what class you fly in, however, it is important to consider how comfort differs based on which aircraft model you fly on.
777
The 777 is the much bigger aircraft. In some cases, this makes the 777 a better aircraft, but in other cases, it makes the 777 a worse aircraft than the 787.
Depending on which class you are flying in, seat pitch for a 777 varies from 32 inches to 42 inches. Which is the same as the 787- with the seat pitch being only one inch more on the high end.
The 777 is most commonly operated by legacy carriers, operating the 777 in the standard three-class configuration. When flying in economy class, the 777 is often used in a “3-4-3” configuration, with a seat pitch ranging between 31-33 inches (78-83cm).
When flying in premium economy, the 777 is most commonly configured in a “3-3-3” configuration, with a seat pitch ranging between 32-33 inches (81-83cm).
If you are flying in business class, the 777 is most commonly used in a “2-4-2” or rarely “2-3-2” configuration, with a seat pitch ranging between 36-38 inches (91-97 cm).
When flying in first class, the 777 is almost solely used in a “1-2-1” configuration, with a seat pitch ranging between 41-42 inches (104-106 cm) depending on the airline you are flying on.
787
The 787 is the far smaller aircraft- in terms of size, the 787 is only marginally larger than the most recent models of the 737. In some ways, this has been a gift, in others, it has been a curse.
More often than not, the 787 has less people on board, meaning that they often arrive and depart much faster than a 777 does. However, the 787 does also feature smaller seat pitches on average than the 777.
Both legacy carriers and low-cost carriers operate the 787 for long haul routes. As such, some 787s are configured in a three-class configuration, whilst other 787s are configured in an all-economy configuration.
When flying in economy class, the 787 is most commonly configured in a “3-3-3” configuration, with a seat pitch ranging between 31-33 inches (78-83 cm). When flying premium economy, it is usually a “3-2-3” configuration with a seat pitch of 32-33 inches (81-83 cm).
When flying in business class, the 787 is most commonly used in a “2-3-2” configuration, in some rare cases, the 787 is used in “3-2-3” configuration with a seat pitch ranging between 36-38 inches (91-97 cm).
When flying in first class, the 787 is most commonly used in a “1-1-1” configuration or in some cases a “1-2-1” configuration, with a seat pitch of roughly 41 inches (104 cm).
Boeing 777 vs 787: Today
Both the 777 and 787 are relatively new aircraft in the grand scheme of things. The 777 was introduced in June 1995, making it a 25 years old aircraft at heart. The 787 was introduced in October 2011, making it just under a decade old.
777
To date, there are over 1,600 777s in the sky, operating in both cargo and commercial airline roles. The most common variant is the 777-300, however, there is are also four other airliner variants of the 777.
There is also a 777F, cargo variant. The 777F is based on the 777-200LR variant of the 777. The 777, is used on long-haul cargo routes that are also served by cargo variants (or retired airliners) such as: the A340, MD-11, 747, 757 and 767.
However, many of the current 777 variants are ageing rapidly. As such, in recent years, Boeing have begun designing, testing the 777X. In recent months, Boeing have even begun putting measures in place to put the 777X into full production.
This program is known as the Yellowstone project- more specifically the Yellowstone Y3 project. This project aims to replace the 777-200, 777-300 as well as the 747-8i.
Many airlines expect that the 777-200s and 777-300s will be in service with them until 2030 at the least. The 777X is expected to be in service until 2050 or 2060!
It is generally understood that there is a program that will replace the 777X is being worked on. However, Boeing has not talked about any of this officially.
787
To date, almost 1,000 787s have been delivered and introduced, with roughly 1,500 more 787s on order. The most common variant of the 787 is the 787-9, although there are currently two other 787 airliner variants.
As of the time of writing, these 1,000 787s are used by around 60 airlines. The largest operators of the 787 to date are ANA, American, United, Japan Airlines, Air Canada, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Etihad Airways.
Officially, there is no 787F or anything similar. However, the recent Coronavirus outbreak has yielded several former passenger-787s configured for cargo operations.
In fact, many former passenger airlines have become cargo airlines almost overnight. One of the most used aircraft in most of their new all-cargo fleets has been the 787.
Most 787s have become favorites of air charter companies as well as aircraft leasing companies. Many of the 787’s operators operate the 787 through leasing, either from Boeing or from companies like GE Capital.
To date, there is no official replacement for the 787, mostly due to how new the 787 is into service. However, it is reasonable to assume that Boeing are working on a 787 replacement in secret.
Boeing 777 vs 787: Opinions
As usual, we asked several different groups about their opinions on the matter of “777 vs 787?”
Pilots
As usual, I managed to interview several pilots who fly or have flown either the 787 or the 777. As per usual, those pilots did prefer their on aircraft, with a few preferring the other one for various reasons.
However, I did manage to interview one 787 pilot who had flown the 777 several times in a simulator because his airline originally wanted train him to be a 777 pilot.
When I interviewed him, he said he preferred the 787 because it was easier to handle. However, he did say that the 777 banked much smoother and quicker than the 787, despite being the much larger aircraft.
Passengers
As usual, I asked several passengers who flew on the 777 and 787 in all different classes, traveling on different airlines. Naturally, two groups of passengers immediately formed.
The 777 being older has both been a blessing and a curse. Many passengers who flew on the 777 and 787 noticed that the 777 had less comfy seats. However, had marginally better seat pitches on average.
The 787 being newer was similarly a blessing and a curse. On the whole, the 787 was a comfier, quieter and a smoother ride, however, often lacks other amenities such as several bassinets (cribs for babies).
Avgeeks
I also asked several avgeeks which of the two aircraft they preferred. As usual, two factions formed almost immediately as is so common when comparing two aircraft types.
One group of avgeeks (who were also the majority) preferred the 787. They stated that because the 787 was preferred by pilots and that the 787 was, in terms of specifications, a better aircraft, that the 787 was clearly the better aircraft.
The other group of avgeeks preferred the 777. They talked about the 777 being more iconic (similarly to the 747 and 737) and how the 777 looked like the better aircraft, as well as having on average more seats.
C-Suite Executives
Both the 777 and 787 have become favorites of corporations, businessmen and celebrities the world over. Through the Boeing BBJ program, both the 777 and 787 have been offered, making them both extremely expensive private jets.
To date, there are only a handful of private 777s, mostly in the hands of governments, as well as a few mega-corporations. There are similarly few private 787s, similarly in the hands of governments as well as a few mega-corporations.
Of the two C-Suite executives I did interview- one private 787 and one private 777 , both understandably preferred their aircraft, stating similar reasons to avgeeks, passengers and pilots all together!
Summary
In terms of specifications, the 787 does appear to be the superior aircraft. The 787 both travels farther than the 777, as well as traveling Mach 0.01 faster than the 777 does.
The 787 is also a much lighter aircraft, which transfers to the 787 needing a shorter runway to takeoff from. However, in terms of height, width and length, the 787 has nothing on the 777.
For most airlines, seating is very important. On the higher end, the 787 can actually carry more people than the 777. However, on the lower end, the 777 carries almost 100 more people than the 787 does.
Boeing 777 vs 787: Who truly wins? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Tomoaki Inaba via Flickr.