Boeing 777 is one of the most popular widebody aircraft. Between its introduction into service in 1995 and today, it has been offered in multiple different variants with more to come. Each of the variants offers different capabilities suited for different missions.
This article takes a detailed look at the various specs of the 777. While they are broken down by variant, some of the values are provided as ranges. That’s because the exact value can depend not only on the variant but also on the engine and weight configuration, as well as the cabin configuration.
Overall, the Boeing 777 family includes aircraft with specs in the following ranges:
- Length: 209 ft 1 in – 242 ft 4 in (63.73 m – 73.86 m)
- Height: 61 ft 6 in – 62 ft 4 in (18.76 m – 18.99 m)
- Wingspan: 199 ft 11 in – 212 ft 7 in (60.93 m – 64.80 m).
- Cabin width: 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
- Maximum design taxi weight: 508,000 lbs – 777,000 lbs (230,450 kg – 352,442 kg)
- Maximum design take-off weight: 506,000 lbs – 775,000 lbs (229,500 – 351,535 kg)
- Maximum design landing weight: 441,000 lbs – 575,000 lbs (200,050 – 260,816 kg)
- Operating empty weight: 302,100 lbs – 372,100 lbs (137,030 kg – 168,780 kg)
- Range: 3,920 nmi – 9,395 nmi (7,255 km – 17,395 km)
- Usable fuel: 31,000 US gals – 47,890 US gals (117,300 l – 181,283 l)
- Fuel burn (3,000-nmi trip): 262.2 lbs per seat – 295.0 lbs per seat
- Exit limit: 440 – 550 passengers
Boeing 777 Dimensions
Understandably, the 777 dimensions are more uniform across the different variants than some of the other specifications we will look at later on in this article.
Length
Boeing 777 aircraft come in two lengths – the shorter “-200” series and the longer “-300” series.
The original 777-200 model, as well as the 777-200ER, 777-200LR, and 777-F, are all 209 ft 1 in (63.73 m) long. The longer 777-300 and 777-300ER variants are 242 ft 4 in (73.86 m) long. At the time of its introduction in 1998, the 777-300 was the world’s longest airliner; later on, it was surpassed by Airbus A340-600.
Height
Because the height of the 777 depends on how heavy it is (i.e. an empty 777 is higher than a fully loaded one), Boeing gives a range of tail heights for each of the variants in its Airplane Characteristics for Airport Planning document. The values presented below are the maximum heights specified in the document.
The tail height of most of the 777 variants including the 777-200, 777-200ER, 777-300, and 777-200LR, is 61 ft 6 in (18.76 m). At 61 ft 10 in (18.85 m), the 777-300ER is slightly higher. The highest variant is the 777-F which comes in at 62 ft 4 in (18.99 m).
Wingspan
Boeing 777’s older three variants – the 777-200, 777-200ER, and 777-300 – have a wingspan of 199 ft 11 in (60.93 m).
The type’s newer variants – the 777-200LR, 777-300ER, and 777-F – have extended raked wingtips. Because of this modification, their wingspan is, at 212 ft 7 in (64.80 m) considerably longer than that of the original variants.
Cabin Width
All of the passenger 777 variants share a cabin width of 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m).
This allows for 3-3-3 and 3-4-3 seating in economy class (most airlines opt for the latter). In business and first class, the number of seats in one row depends on the type of seat. That said, in modern long-haul configurations that use staggered or reverse herringbone business class seats it tends to be 1-2-1.
Boeing 777 Weight
Below, we will look at the following weights of the 777:
- Maximum design taxi weight (MTW): The maximum weight the aircraft can be when moving around an airport. This is the highest weight at which the aircraft can be operated at all (even though it cannot take-off at this weight).
- Maximum design take-off weight (MTOW): The maximum weight the aircraft can be at the start of a take-off run.
- Maximum design landing weight (MLW): The maximum weight the aircraft can be when it touches down on a runway.
- Operating empty weight (OEW): Weight of the aircraft including things integral to its operation (unusable fuel, seats, etc.) and excluding usable fuel and payload.
Design Weight Limits
At 777,000 lbs (352,442 kg) and 775,000 lbs (351,535 kg), the 777-300ER has the highest MTW and MTOW in the 777 family. That said, its MLW is, at 554,000 lbs (251,290 kg), slightly lower than that of the 777-F as the latter needs to be able to land with a heavier payload.
Depending on the weight configuration, the 777-200 has an MTW of up to 537,000 lbs (243,500 kg), an MTOW of up to 535,000 lbs (242,630 kg), and an MLW of up to 445,000 lbs (201,800 kg). The 777-200ER can operate at heavier weights, with an MTOW of 656,000 lbs (297,550 kg).
While offering considerably more capacity, the MTW and MTOW of the 777-300 are fairly similar to the 777-200ER. The MTOW ranges between 580,000 and 660,000 lbs (263,080 and 299,370 kg). That said, because of carrying more passengers and cargo than the shorter 777-200ER, the MLW of the 777-300 is 524,000 lbs (237,680 kg).
Below is an overview of the maximum taxi weight, maximum take-off weight, and maximum landing weight ranges for all of the 777 variants:
Operating Empty Weight
Operating empty weight depends not only on the aircraft itself but also on things that are outside the manufacturer’s control like the number and types of seats it is equipped with. As such, even the same 777-200ER variant, for example, can have different OEWs within a single airline if the airline operates them in different configurations.
Boeing provides sample 777 OEWs based on typical mission rules and an aircraft equipped with three classes featuring a 9-abreast economy:
- 777-200: 302,100 – 310,400 lbs (137,030 – 140,790 kg)
- 777-200ER: 312,400 – 320,800 lbs (141,700 – 145,510 kg)
- 777-200LR: 342,900 lbs (155,530 kg); 346,300 lbs (157,070 kg) with optional fuel tanks
- 777-300: 342,500 – 350,200 lbs (155,350 – 158,840 kg)
- 777:300ER: 372,100 lbs (168,780 kg)
Boeing 777 Range
The two baseline models – Boeing 777-200 and 777-300 – have the shortest ranges within the 777 family. Depending on a variety of factors, the range of a 777-200 is 4,010 – 5,240 nmi (7,425 – 9,700 km). The range of the larger 777-300 is slightly longer at 3,920 – 6,030 nmi (7,255 – 11,165 km).
While there are still some active non-ER 777s, the vast majority of the 777 that can be seen at airports around the world today are its “extended range” versions. The 777-200ER has a range of 5,765 – 7,725 nmi (10,675 – 14,305 km) and the 777-300ER has a range of 6,415 – 7,930 nmi (11,880 – 14,685 km). This represents approximately 50% and 30% increases compared to the baseline models’ maximum ranges.
Designed for the longest missions, the 777-200LR has a range of 8,295 – 8,665 nmi (15,360 – 16,045 km). If equipped with optional fuel tanks, it can fly as far as 9,395 nmi (17,395 km).
While the cargo version is based on the 777-200LR, its range is relatively short due to the increased weight that it typically carries. Boeing lists the range of the 777-F as 4,880 nmi (9,038 km).
Boeing 777 Usable Fuel and Fuel Burn
The amount of usable fuel (i.e. the fuel that can be burned on a trip rather than all of the fuel in the aircraft including fuel that “stays in the system”) that the 777 can carry ranges from 31,000 to 47,890 US gallons depending on the variant.
At the lowest end of that range sits the 777-200 which can carry less passengers than the stretched “-300” and can only do so for a relatively short distance. At the highest end of that range are the three second-generation variants – the 777-200LR, 777-F, and 777-300ER. In between sit the 777-200ER which can carry up to 45,200 gallons of usable fuel and the 777-300 which can carry up to 44,700 gallons.
In terms of fuel burn, based on Boeing data for a typical 3,000-nmi trip, the 777-300 and 777-300ER are the most fuel-efficient of the variants burning 267.4 lbs per seat and between 262.2 and 273.6 lbs per seat respectively.
Of the shorter variants, the 777-200 burns 274.5 – 281.4 lbs per seat on a similar trip, followed by the 777-200ER at 283.8 – 291.2 lbs per seat, and the 777-200LR at 293.0 – 295.0 lbs per seat.
Boeing 777 Capacity
All of the shorter passenger variants – 777-200, 777-200ER, and 777-200LR – have an exit limit (i.e. the theoretically highest number of passengers that they could accommodate in a way that evacuation could be done in a timely manner) of 440 passengers. The 777-300 and 777-300ER have an exit limit of 550 passengers.
That said, the actual seating capacity of the 777 varies greatly depending on the configuration an airline decides to equip it in – i.e. how many classes it features, how many seats in each classes, what type of seats, and so on.
Below are some examples of the seating capacity of 777-200s in actual use:
- ANA: 404 seats
- United: 276 – 364 seats depending on configuration
Below are some examples of the seating capacity of 777-300s in actual use:
Summary
Belonging to the same 777 family, the different variants share some of the specifications. For example, all of the variants have the same cabin width. Similarly, the length of all the “-200” variants is the same and the length of all the “-300” variants is the same. On the other hand, they differ greatly in their range and some other specifications.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also want to learn about how the 777 compares with some other aircraft including the Boeing 747, 757, and 787; and Airbus A330, A350, and A380.
