30 years of Boeing 777 commercial operations
May 18, 2025
The 777 has since become the best-selling widebody aircraft of all time, and the global fleet has logged 16 million flights, carrying nearly 4 billion passengers, and logging 49 billion miles in the process.
As the launch customer for the 777, United Airlines worked closely with Boeing and Pratt & Whitney throughout the design, engineering and development phases, and has continuously operated the 777 since 1995.
Though the 777 is today recognised as the best-selling widebody of all time, the original 777-200 model was not so popular, with just 88 777-200s produced. Today, United Airlines operates 19 of the 21 777-200s currently operating, the other two being flown by Japan’s All Nippon Airways.
Though it was temporarily grounded due to the COVID-19 pandemic, N777UA is one of the active survivors. On 17 May (its 30th birthday) the aircraft flew from Denver to San Francisco and back, and then from Denver to Honolulu and back. By 2022, the aircraft had flown more than 100,000 hours and a punishing 18,000 cycles!
N777UA (Line number Seven) flies alongside a number of 1995 deliveries, including N768UA (Line number 11), N769UA (Line number 12), N771UA (Line number 3), N773UA (Line number 4), and N772UA (Line number 5).
The aircraft was delivered in a three-class 292 seat layout, with 12 First Class lie-flat seats in a six-abreast configuration, 49 ‘Connoisseur Class’ seven-abreast seats, and 231 Economy seats arranged 2-5-2.
