Boeing starts 777-8 freighter production, delivery set for 2028
Airlines and cargo operators have ordered 59 777-8 freighters since Boeing launched the programme in 2022.
Operator Casey McDowell begins drilling the first hole into a 777-8 freighter spar in Everett, Wash. (Marian Lockhart photo)
American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has announced that its 777/777X programme team has officially begun production of the 777-8 freighter.
The airplane is designed to be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine freighter, programme leaders said.
Boeing initiated 777-8 freighter production by drilling the first hole in a wing spar, an essential structural component of the aircraft.
“You don’t forget these moments,” says Casey McDowel, Operator. “Having our team together as we got underway on this airplane was special.”
The company recently announced that it has completed the first wing spar for the 777-8 freighter’s wing.
Teammates in the Composite Spar Shop celebrate the start of 777-8 freighter production. (Marian Lockhart photo)
Teams at the nearby Composite Wing Centre fabricated the spars, along with skin panels and stringers. Each wing has two spars, front and rear, that measure 108 feet (33 metres) long.
Fabricating a pair of spars for each wing requires 392 miles of carbon fiber tape, the length of the drive from Everett to the state of Montana. While the combined weight of a pair of spars is 2,500 pounds.
Airlines and cargo operators have ordered 59 777-8 freighters since Boeing launched the programme in 2022. Boeing has said it is working to deliver the first 777-8 freighter in 2028.
“I helped build the very first 777 – WA001 – early in my career, and it’s exciting to get to start our newest member of the 777X family,” says Robin Thorning, automation manager.
“To touch these incredible airplanes and help bring them to life is a privilege and really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We take our work seriously as we continue to drive to build safe and more-efficient airplanes,” says Thorning.
In the next phase, the completed spars will be transferred to the main factory, where they will be assembled into the first 777-8 freighter wings along with CWC parts and other key components.
“You are leading the way as we introduce our newest freighter into our production system,” says Jason Clark, 777/777X vice president and general manager. “Thank you for building our future.”
