Report: Boeing finds launch customer for 777X freighter
Qatar Airways is slated to become the launch customer for the Boeing 777X freighter with a firm order of 15 and options for 50 aircraft, reports Bloomberg. An official announcement is set for Jan. 31, 2022, in Washington, D.C., during a meeting with Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President Joe Biden.
The airline signed a letter of intent back in April 2018 to purchase five 777 Freighters, valued at $1.7 billion.
This is a welcome victory for Boeing since the oft-delayed delivery of the largest twin-engine aircraft ever to fly was originally slated for 2020, but production issues and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic pushed it back to late 2023.
This new order shows that the freighter market remains strong even as Boeing and Airbus continue to struggle to make large jet sales in the commercial side of the market.
Airbus unveiled the A350F, a freighter version of the A350-1000, in 2021 to challenge Boeing in the growing cargo-jet segment of the market. Singapore Airlines signed a letter of intent for seven A350F freighters as the launch customer -- to replace its current fleet of Boeing 747-400Fs -- for delivery starting in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Boeing currently has 351 777X orders and commitments from eight airlines — All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar and Singapore. The aircraft took its first trip outside of the U.S., appearing at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021.
Related: First look: Inside Boeing's first prototype 777X
The 777X sports folding wingtips, which will allow the aircraft to fit into gates where the existing models of the 777 can go, despite a longer wingspan of 235 feet, 5 inches. Four prototypes of the 777X have accumulated more than 1,700 of flight testing hours, a little less than half of the approximately 3,500 flight hours the original 777 and the 787 Dreamliner underwent before receiving FAA certification.
Related: The Boeing 777 turns 25: All about the new Boeing 777X
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| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
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Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month