The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] hailed today's United Airlines' launch of
Boeing 777-200ER (extended range) flights between Auckland and Los Angeles -
the first such South Pacific service.
The airline plans to replicate the 777's success on other
long-haul world routes, offering passengers daily, non-stop service.
The three-class 275-seat airplane replaces a Boeing 747
previously used to link Los Angeles, Auckland and Melbourne, Australia.
"Now that United serves Melbourne via Sydney, the 777 is the
perfect aircraft for the Auckland-Los Angeles route," said Michael
Purchon, United Airlines general manager - New Zealand.
"We believe our customers will be thrilled with the onboard
experience the 777 will offer, including 19 channels of audio and
9 channels of video entertainment with personal video monitors at
every seat on the aircraft."
A 777 launch customer, United Airlines is now the world's largest
operator of the type, with a fleet of 60 Boeing 777s, including
the 16 777-200ERs to be used on the Auckland route.
The Boeing 777-200ER is one of the longest-range and most
technologically advanced aircraft in service today. It is designed
to handle routes such as the 10,500 kilometer (5,670 nautical mile) sector from New Zealand to California with
ease. The 777-200ER has a range of 14,316 kilometers (7,730 nautical miles).
From entry into service, the varying models of the 777 have been
ETOPS- (Extended Range Twin Engine Operations) compliant, offering
unprecedented levels of reliability.
"We designed and built the 777 for exactly this type of
point-to-point route, and it's great to see United Airlines inaugurate the service," said Ray Conner, vice
president and general manager of the 777 program for Boeing Commercial
Airplanes.
"The 777 has proved its worth on many other key air routes and
we're confident it will deliver new levels of passenger appeal on
the South Pacific," he said.
For improved, more efficient in-flight service, the 777 is
equipped with an advanced cabin management system. Linked to a
computerized control console, the cabin management system assists
cabin crews with many tasks and allows airlines to provide new
services for passengers, including a digital sound system
comparable to the most state-of-the-art home stereo or disc players.
A 1992 Industrial Design Excellence Award was awarded to the
passenger cabin of the Boeing 777 jetliner, the first time the
Industrial Designers Society of America honored an aircraft interior.
A survey of thousands of passengers flying long-range routes
around the world in first, business and economy classes revealed
an overwhelming preference for the 777. The worldwide survey, conducted in 1999 and 2000, found that more than
three out of four passengers worldwide who had flown aboard both the 777 and
competing airliners preferred the Boeing 777. |