The 777X is Boeing’s new flagship aircraft, which is badly delayed. The jet was supposed to enter service in 2020, but has been pushed back until at least 2025, due to certification issues. While Boeing is still officially hoping that the plane will enter service in 2025, it seems many airline executives now think 2026 is more realistic.
The 777X plays an important role in the fleet planning of several airlines. I’ve written about the implications of the 777X for both Cathay Pacific and Emirates, and in this post wanted to talk about what this jet means for Qatar Airways, especially as the airline has today formally announced that it has increased its order for this jet.
Qatar Airways is known for being one of the world’s highest quality airlines, and the 777X should take the passenger experience to the next level.
In this post:
Expect Qatar Airways to fly at least 60 Boeing 777Xs
Qatar Airways has 60 Boeing 777-9s on order, and the Doha-based airline should be one of the three launch customers for the jet (Emirates, Lufthansa, and Qatar Airways, have all at some point been referred to as the launch customer, so we’ll see).
It remains to be seen how 777X certification goes, but I’d expect the airline to get the first jet in late 2025 or early 2026, assuming there aren’t further delays (which is probably an unrealistic assumption, given that we’re talking about Boeing). 😉
That seems to only be the start of Qatar Airways’ plans. We recently learned that Qatar Airways is planning on placing a massive aircraft order in the coming months, expected to be split between Airbus and Boeing. More specifically, the airline is planning to split that order between the A350 and the 777X, though that could change.
The 777X is part of Qatar Airways’ long term fleet renewal, as presumably some of these orders are intended for the 2030s. After all, Qatar Airways has a lot of previous generation 777s that it wants to eventually retire.
Separate from the passenger version of the jet, Qatar Airways has also ordered 34 Boeing 777-8 freighters, though that doesn’t exactly do much for us passengers. 😉
Qatar Airways 777Xs will have Qsuite Next Gen business class
Qatar Airways is known for its Qsuites business class, which is universally regarded as one of the best in the world.
Qatar Airways also recently announced plans to introduce a new business class, which will be known as Qsuites Next Gen. This is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, as it has the same “bones” as the current product, but with some very nice improvements.
Among other things, the new business class will be more spacious, with much improved tech, plus the ability to better customize the experience for couples and families traveling together. As of now, these seats will exclusively be available on Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-9s, so that’s another reason to look forward to this aircraft.
We don’t know exactly when it’s going to be introduced, but I think it’s safe to say that it will be available on all 777Xs. The question is just whether some other jets get the new product before then. Regardless, I suspect that Qatar Airways will once again set the standard for business class.
Qatar Airways 777Xs will have new first class
One of the exciting developments we’ve learned in recent months at Qatar Airways is that the airline plans to introduce a new first class, a departure from the previous plan to eliminate first class altogether.
It clearly represents a new direction under the leadership of relatively new CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer, who is making a lot of positive changes at the airline. While details about Qatar Airways’ new first class plans are limited, the airline is promising to create an experience that combines elements of private and commercial aviation, and I can’t wait to see what the airline comes up with.
I think it’s a given that the 777Xs will be the planes that feature the new first class. What remains to be seen is whether all 777Xs are outfitted with first class, or just a subset of them, which operate the most premium routes.
I’d love to see the airline introduce first class throughout the 777X fleet, so that the airline actually has a substantial first class network for connecting passengers, as you’ll find at Emirates.
I also think that Qatar Airways will really create something special in first class, at last. Historically one of Qatar Airways’ issues has been that the carrier’s business class is so good, while first class isn’t as impressive compared to what the competition offers.
Qatar Airways currently has a small first class footprint — the airline has first class on A380s, as well as on leased 777s that used to fly for Cathay Pacific. On top of that, Qatar Airways markets the forward cabin on some regional flights as first class, but it’s not a “true” first class product.
I certainly could be wrong, but I’m hopeful the airline may finally put as much effort into first class as business class, in terms of creating an industry leading product. Maybe we’ll see something along the lines of what Cathay Pacific may have planned.
Bottom line
While the timeline remains to be seen, Qatar Airways has 60 Boeing 777Xs on order, and I expect this jet to become an even more important part of the carrier’s fleet renewal as time goes on.
As is the case at several airlines, the 777X is intended as a new “flagship” aircraft, given that it’s the largest passenger aircraft in production. We can expect Qatar Airways’ 777Xs to have the carrier’s new business class product, plus a new first class experience. To me, the big question is how many 777Xs will have first class, and what the product will be like.
What are you expecting from Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777Xs?
If the 777X is larger and longer than the 777-300, why does it only seem to have four doors on each side, while the 777-300 has five?
I'm just curious about this, as from an evacuation perspective this doesn't seem to make sense, or perhaps evacuation regulations / standards have changed(?).
The amount of doors dictates the maximum amount of passengers an aircraft can carry. 8 doors on the 777-9 limits the maximum passenger count to 440 while 10 doors on the 777-300 allows it to seat over 500. The 777-9 can be configured with a 5th door pair if the customer requests for that , this increases the exit limit to over 475 passengers.
THANK YOU, Beetle!
It looks like the 777-8 its going to be a slow seller and between Qatar and Emirates they have 60% of the orders.
Expect delays.
There might be delays however with the recent KE B77X order and the fact the B77X program has thousands of hours logged in, I believe both Boeing and the FAA have a bit of a clearer idea of when the plane will be certified.
Of course, there always can be "unknown unknowns" however I'm confident. If fact, I sold my Sprit Aerosystem stock and purchased Boeing shares. I believe Boeing will "right the ship".