The Boeing 777 was one of the most advanced aircraft of its time. With two giant engines and incredible capabilities, the 777 is the most successful widebody aircraft in history, with well over two thousand orders across three generations.
It all started with the Boeing 777-200. It could accommodate around 300 passengers with a MTOW of 247T, to fly a distance of up to 5,420 nm (9,700 nm). United Airlines was the first to fly the Boeing 777 in 1995, and today operates nearly 100 of the type.
But the 777-200 has largely been forgotten about, as it was followed by the more capable 777-200ER and the stretched 777-300, then with the second generation 777s, which were the even more capable 777-200LR and its stretch, the Boeing 777-300ER, along with a freighter.
The original 777-200 was never incredibly popular in the first place. Today, United Airlines operates 19 out of 21 777-200s currently in the skies, with the other two belonging to All Nippon Airways . In total, just 88 777-200s were ever produced.
While nearly all Boeing 777-200s have been retired, United continues to operate a substantial fleet of the type. These aircraft are some of the oldest 777s ever made, and will likely be gone before the end of the decade. As per ch-aviation, three of them will be celebrating their 30th birthday this year.
N777UA - Line number Seven
N777UA was the first Boeing 777 to ever be delivered to an airline in May 1995, and subsequently operated the first ever commercial Boeing 777 flight the next month, from London Heathrow to Washington-Dulles.
As per Aerolopa, the aircraft was delivered with 292 seats in a three-class layout, consisting of 12 First Class seats in a six-abreast configuration, 49 "Connoisseur Class" seats in a seven-abreast layout, and 231 Economy seats arranged 2-5-2, which was standard at the time.
Flying with two Pratt & Whitney PW4000s, the aircraft has seen four paint schemes since its original delivery.
N768UA - Line number 11
N768UA was delivered just a month after N777UA, however, it is not United's second 777 that they received. United ended up selling a handful of Boeing 777-200s during the 2000s. Financial struggles meant that United needed to downsize, and they found buyers willing to pay them for the jets. The majority of their fleet, however, still flies with United titles today.
While some 777-200s have been repainted into United's current 2019 scheme, N768UA remains in the post-merger colors. When United merged with Continental Airlines, the decision was made to adopt Continental's visual branding elements while keeping the United name.
The livery dates back to 1991 and was virtually unchanged during the merger, except for changing the titles from Continental to United. Before the merger, Continental flew this livery on a number of aircraft:
- Airbus A300
- Boeing 727
- Boeing 737
- Boeing 747
- Boeing 757
- Boeing 767
- Boeing 777
- McDonnell Douglas DC-9
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10
- McDonnell Douglas MD-80
N769UA - Line number 12
N769UA is the sister ship to N768UA. They were built alongside each other, and were delivered within 2 days of one another, in June of 1995. Today however, it would be difficult to tell because N769UA currently sports United's newest livery.
While the Boeing 777 is commonly associated with the specially designed General Electric GE90, the classic 777s came with three engine types.
- The General Electric GE90, the heaviest but most powerful engine option.
- The Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112, a derivative of the widely used PW4000.
- The Rolls Royce Trent 800, a new member of Rolls Royce's successful Trent family.
United, however, was a major customer for PW4000-powered Boeing 777s and many Pratt & Whitney products. In fact, at the time of United's merger with Continental, a major General Electric operator, they used Pratt & Whitney engines on their entire fleet.
- Their Airbus A319s and A320s use IAE V2500s, which were partially designed by Pratt & Whitney
- Their Boeing 757s were equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW2000s, though these planes were fully retired by 2020.
- Their Boeing 747s, 767s, and 777s were all powered by the PW4000.
United's oldest Boeing 777s
While the three above aircraft were some of the first Boeing 777s to fly with the United tulip, they are not, in fact, United's oldest 777s.
N774UA - Line number two
The first Boeing 777 ever made was used for testing and later sold to Cathay Pacific , who flew the aircraft as B-HNL until its retirement in 2018. Today, B-HNL rests in Tuscon, Arizona, on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
Furthermore, United also flies three other 1994 Boeing 777-200s registered N771UA, N773UA, and N772UA. These aircraft are designated as line numbers three, four, and five, respectively. While N774UA was delivered in 1996, the rest of the 30-plus-year-old Boeing 777-200s were taken by United in 1995.
What the elder Boeing 777-200s do today
While United originally used these aircraft for intercontinental routes, today these planes almost never leave the United States.
United's entire fleet of Boeing 777-200s now flies with a high-density configuration carrying 364 seats, more than any other aircraft in United's fleet. The planes are configured with:
The 28 seats in United First are United's old "IPTE" seats, which have been around since the 2000s and alternate between forward or rear-facing. This cabin is the only one with seatback entertainment, while the rest of the passengers have to make do with personal device streaming.
With their age and high capacity, these aircraft are intended for shorter flights with high demand. They typically fly between United hubs and a handful of routes to spokes with large numbers of leisure passengers, such as Cancun.
However, they do stretch their legs when flying to Hawaii, which is where a number of these "domestic" 777s fly. Their high capacity is ideal for serving such a popular but low-yielding destination, and these flights are not excessively long for the type.
The Boeing 777-200's future at United
Six more Boeing 777-200s will reach 30 in 2026. With United's historic order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners and their long delayed Airbus A350 order, it would seem that the 777-200's days are numbered.
United has always been a large customer of Boeing 777s. They were directly involved in the design of the 777 and operate a young fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs that will operate for years to come. The former Continental Airlines 777s are also slightly younger than United's original fleet, so these will likely go after the exit of the original United fleet.
While the sun may now be setting on the classic 777, United will continue to fly Boeing 777s for many years to come.
