No doubt about it the Queen of the Skies has a special place in the hearts of aviation geeks. The memories that that plane brings back to mind are something unique. However, technology eventually made the Boeing Jumbo obsolete and the plane that took over the 747 in the wide body lineup was the 777. A truly revolutionary plane. An aircraft that made it common place to fly ULR flights on a twin-engine aircraft. But which Boeing 777 variant is the most common in airport and in the skies around the world? Let’s find out.
Which is The Most Popular Boeing 777 Variant?
There is little competition among the Boeing 777 aircraft family in term of which variant is the most popular. Airlines voted clearly with their purchases and orders.
By far and large the Boeing 777-300ER is the most popular Boeing 777 variant you’ll see in airports and in the skies all over the world. The airliner is a tireless workhorse in many airlines’ fleets making long-haul high-capacity operations a reality. The 777-300ER almost doubled the second placed 200ER, by 832 deliveries to 422.
Here’s how the variants orders and deliveries stack up:
| Variant | Orders | Deliveries |
|---|---|---|
| 777-300ER | 837 | 832 |
| 777-200ER | 422 | 422 |
| 777F | 330 | 271 |
| 777-200 | 88 | 88 |
| 777-200LR | 61 | 61 |
| 777-300 | 60 | 60 |
Which Variants Has Boeing Produced of The Aircraft?
Overall, Boeing produced 5 passenger variants of the 777. However, they came primarily in 2 sizes that identify in the 200 series and the 300 series. Where the 300 is the largest of the two sizes, capable of carrying almost 400 passengers in a 2-class configuration, or approximately 340 in a standard 3 class layout. The 6 variants (including the cargo one) are:
- 777-200
- 777-200ER
- 777-200LR
- 777-300
- 777-300ER
Three of the five Boeing triple-seven variants are of the smaller 200 series. The 777-200 was also the first aircraft of the family to enter commercial service with United Airlines, all the way back in 1995.
The other two variants of the Boeing 777-200 are the ER and LR. I often see these two variants being confused on many occasions. They are indeed different in specs. The ER entered service in 1996 and is a first-generation iteration of the original 777. It allows a higher takeoff weight and therefore more payload on each flight.
The LR on the other hand only entered service in 2006 and features massive additional tanks to allow it to fly non-stop distances north of 15,800 km. The LR is not significantly more efficient than the other planes of the family meaning that its massive range is achieved only thanks to more fuel onboard and next-generation GE engines. Fuel that brings to a higher fuel burn to be carried, therefore reducing the payload.
The difference is much clearer between the Boeing 777-300 and 777-300ER. The former is a first-generation plane, a stretched version of the 777-200, while the ER features the iconic GE90 engines and larger tanks to achieve longer flying distances.
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