Russian airline orders six 777s, helping bridge delivery gap

Published 1:30 am Friday, September 15, 2017

By Dominic Gates, The Seattle Times

SEATTLE — A day after Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg revealed a new order for six 777-300ERs that helps bridge the delivery gap between the current 777s and the forthcoming 777X, the planemaker disclosed the buyer: Russian flagship airline Aeroflot.

The purchase was approved Aug. 31 by Aeroflot’s board. The airline said the jets will be delivered between the second quarter of 2018 and first quarter of 2021.

Muilenburg said Wednesday Boeing has just a handful of 777 delivery slots still to fill in 2019.

However, even as Boeing begins to introduce the 777X starting in 2020, it will also build some current model 777s for a couple of years until production of the newer model ramps up.

Aeroflot said it plans to use the 777s for long-haul flights between Europe and Asia and to remote regions in Russia.