Eastern Airlines receives first Boeing 777-200ER

The US carrier has today received the first Boeing 777-200ER as part of its fleet expansion strategy. The Boeing 777 is registered N7-7IKW. According to ch-aviation, the history of the aircraft goes back to December 22nd, 1995. On this day, Singapore Airlines ordered the aircraft from the US-based manufacturer. A few years later, on February 22nd, 2002, the Boeing 777 made its first flight. Although a long time passed between the order date and the first flight, the same cannot be said for the time required to deliver the aircraft, which joined Singapore Airlines’ fleet less than a month after the maiden flight on March 8th.

In 2016, the Boeing 777 changed ownership and started to be operated by the charter airline flyGlobal Charter, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2020, 18 years after the maiden flight, Eastern Airlines finally purchased the aircraft. Ch-aviation estimates that the aircraft completed 50,125 flying hours and 12,221 flying cycles at Singapore Airlines.

The Boeing 777 received by Eastern Airlines is a champion of high capacity. Indeed, the almost 21-year-old B777 accommodates 380 passengers in an all-economy configuration. The newly received Boeing 777 has joined a fleet of 11 Boeing 767s.

Additionally, according to ch-aviation, the US carrier is awaiting the delivery of seven Boeing 777-200ERs, two Boeing 777-300s, and one Boeing 777-300ER. With the addition of such a relevant number of wide-bodied aircraft, it is evident the US airline is forecasting a progressively increasing demand for air travel between the US and the leisure destinations it serves. simpleflying.com