Page 8 - AAA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2018 Online Magazine

Airways, Etihad Airlines, Lufthansa, Cathay
Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines and All
Nippon Airways are the lead customers for
326 aircraft. Qantas’ chief Alan Joyce has
told Insider that the Boeing 777X-8 and the
Airbus A350 can meet the airline’s challenge
of an aircraft capable of flying from Sydney to
London nonstop with 300 passengers. The
project is finely balanced, with Airbus emerg-
ing from behind as a serious contender for
the highly prized Qantas order. Joyce said
that “it is a two-horse race and we are telling
them there is a lot to play for. Our teams are
working the pros and cons which gives us
the best overhaul business case”. Air New
Zealand is also going through the same eval-
uation, with insiders saying it is too close to
call. Whichever, the aircraft design or airline
configuration, passengers will be the winners.

commercial aircraft. The second member of the family, the 777-
8X, will be the most flexible jet in the world, claims Boeing. The
aircraft will seat 350 passengers and offer a range capability of
more than 9300 nautical miles (17,220km). Sir Tim describes the
777X as “an absolute peach”. Key to his enthusiasm is the air-
craft’s economics — it is 20 per cent more efficient per seat than
the industry’s long-time benchmark the 777-300ER. The 777X
features an all new composite wing but retains its aluminum
fuselage. But it has achieved some remarkable changes in that
fuselage because it was over-engineered when first designed
and the company has more than 20 year’s experience with its
structural integrity. As a result, Boeing has been able to widen
the internal cabin by four inches, reduce the cabin altitude to
6000ft to eliminate altitude sickness and with new aluminum
coatings to stop corrosion, increase the humidity. Boeing has
also been able to increase the size of the windows 35 per cent
and move them higher. The result is a passenger cabin with all
the features of a 787 or A350.

With all these features and economy, airlines are queuing
up for the 777X. Blue chip airlines such as Emirates, Qatar

8 | November/December 2018 www.GBP.com.sg/AAA