Despite the FAA-mandated grounding of all Boeing 737 MAX airplanes, the aviation company has some good news to round out the week: the world's longest passenger plane is here.
On March 13, Boeing shared a first look at the new 252-foot 777X airplane with employees at Boeing's manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington. According to news site WMUR 9, it's longer than the previous record holder by more than a nose. That plane, for reference, is the Boeing 747-8, which first carried passengers 50 years ago.
There are two models in the 777X family, with the 777-9 being the larger of the two. It can fit as many as 425 passengers while traveling more than 7,500 nautical miles before needing a refuel. There's no word on what the interior will look like quite yet, as each airline has said how the seats are arranged in the cabin.
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The 777-8 is the smaller of the two models, accommodating up to 375 passengers. But size isn't the only focus with this design: It can spend more than 17 hours in the air, which is right up there with the world's longest consecutive flight times.
So far, eight airlines have placed orders for the new plane. As of publish time, Emirates has dibs on the first 777-9 and will debut the flight in 2020. The smaller 777-8 will be released in 2022.
