Is the Boeing 777 safe?

The 777 airframe has an excellent structural safety record. The two highest-profile losses in 2014 — MH370 (disappearance) and MH17 (missile strike) — were not caused by aircraft deficiencies. Asiana 214 in 2013 was attributed to pilot error on approach. The hull-loss rate for the 777 is among the lowest of any wide-body jet per departure.

How many fatal Boeing 777 accidents have there been?

Including MH370 and MH17, the 777 has been involved in accidents resulting in approximately 540 fatalities since 1995 — but both MH incidents involved hostile action or unexplained disappearance, not airframe failure. The only accident directly attributable to approach/landing was Asiana 214 (3 fatalities, 2013).

Which airline has the largest 777 fleet?

Emirates operates the world's largest 777 fleet with over 130 aircraft, predominantly 777-300ERs. United Airlines and Air France-KLM are the next-largest operators, each with 50-80 aircraft.

What's the difference between the 777-200ER and 777-300ER?

The 777-300ER is stretched by about 10 metres compared to the 777-200ER, seating roughly 100 more passengers. The -300ER trades range for capacity (7,370 nm vs. 7,725 nm), making it ideal for high-density long-haul routes. The -300ER uses more powerful GE90-115B engines and has a higher MTOW.

How many seats does a Boeing 777 have?

The 777-200ER typically seats 305-440 depending on configuration; Emirates' popular two-class 777-300ER seats 427 passengers in business and economy. High-density single-class 777-300s can seat over 500. The 777X-9 will seat approximately 426 in a typical two-class layout.

When was the Boeing 777 introduced?

The 777-200 entered service with United Airlines on 7 June 1995. The extended-range 777-200ER entered service in 1997, and the stretched 777-300 in 1998. The 777-300ER, the dominant variant, entered service with Air France in April 2004.

Boeing 777 (all variants) — flights, routes and airlines

Every city pair operated by the Boeing 777 (all variants) worldwide. Live schedule data, recent safety events, and operator details.

The Boeing 777 (all variants) is operated by 66 airlines across 1794 city pairs in our observed-flights dataset (last 14 days).

Top routes: AYT-SVO, BKK-DEL, BKK-TPE, BOM-LHR, CTS-HND.

Variants and specifications

Variant	First flight	Typical seats	Range (nm)	Status
777-200	1994	305-440	5240	in service
777-200ER	1996	301-440	7725	in service
777-200LR	2005	301-440	9395	in service
777-300	1997	368-550	6030	in service
777-300ER	2003	396-550	7370	in service
777F	2008	0	4970	in service
777X-8	2020	350-426	8730	in service
777X-9	2020	426-426	7285	in service

Notable accidents and incidents

2014-07-17 Malaysia Airlines 17 Malaysia Airlines 777-200ER 298 fatalities

Shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile; the JIT investigation concluded the missile system belonged to Russia's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade.
2014-03-08 Malaysia Airlines 370 Malaysia Airlines 777-200ER 239 fatalities

Disappeared over the southern Indian Ocean en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing; the largest underwater search in aviation history has found only debris, and the cause of the disappearance has not been officially determined.
2013-07-06 Asiana Airlines 214 Asiana Airlines 777-200ER 3 fatalities

Struck a seawall short of runway 28L at San Francisco International Airport during approach; 3 passengers died (two of whom were struck by rescue vehicles after surviving the crash), 187 were injured.
2021-02-20 United Airlines 328 United Airlines 777-200 no fatalities

A Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine suffered an uncontained fan-blade failure shortly after departure from Denver, scattering debris over suburban Broomfield; all 231 on board landed safely and the PW4000-powered 777 was grounded pending inspection.

About the Boeing 777

The Boeing 777, which entered service with United Airlines in June 1995, was the world's first fly-by-wire Boeing and the first commercial aircraft designed entirely with computer-aided design tools. Its GE90-115B engine is the most powerful turbofan ever certified, producing 115,300 lbf of thrust. The 777-300ER became the workhorse of long-haul aviation for Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Air France-KLM.

The 777X, Boeing's next-generation variant with folding wingtips and composite wings, has faced repeated delays; the 777-9 remains in flight testing; Boeing expects first delivery to launch customer Lufthansa in 2027 after multiple regulatory delays. The 777F freighter remains one of the best-selling cargo aircraft, with FedEx and UPS among major operators. Despite high-profile losses (MH370 and MH17 in 2014), both were caused by non-airworthiness factors, and the airframe itself has an exceptional structural safety record.

Boeing 777 (all variants) — safety & facts

Safety record

Recorded occurrences: 347
Hull losses: 0
Fatal accidents: 10
Total fatalities: 1,381
Records span: 1997–2026

Based on 347 occurrences across NTSB, ASN, MAK, ATSB & Wikidata records. See full safety record →

Key facts

Manufacturer: Boeing
Typical seats: 301-396 pax
Range: 13,649 km
First flight: 1994-06

Last fatal hull loss: 2024 View full safety record →

Color reflects time since the last recorded fatal hull-loss involving this type, drawn from public datasets (NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Wikidata). It is not a commercial safety rating and does not normalise for flights flown, hours, or fleet size — for those, see the manufacturer or IATA Safety Report.

Notable events

2014-07-17 — MALAYSIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM BERHAD — 298 fatalities. Source.
2014-07-17 — Malaysia Airlines — 298 fatalities. Source.
2014-03-08 — Malaysia Airlines — 239 fatalities. Source.
2013-07-06 — Asiana Airlines — 3 fatalities. Source.
2024-05-21 — Singapore Airlines — 1 fatalities. Source.

Variants

777-200 — Original Boeing 777 variant.
777-200LR — Ultra-long-range variant.
777-300ER — Best-selling 777 variant.

Recent airline activity

Observed 1930 active routes flown by 60 airlines in the last 30 days.

Operators: Emirates (166), United Airlines (142), Turkish Airlines (113), American Airlines (103), British Airways (93)

Top routes: BKK–DEL, DEL–BKK, BKK–TPE, ICN–PVG, NRT–HND

Based on live ADS-B observations collected by FlightFinder, as of 2026-06-04.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Boeing 777 safe?: The 777 airframe has an excellent structural safety record. The two highest-profile losses in 2014 — MH370 (disappearance) and MH17 (missile strike) — were not caused by aircraft deficiencies. Asiana 214 in 2013 was attributed to pilot error on approach. The hull-loss rate for the 777 is among the lowest of any wide-body jet per departure.
How many fatal Boeing 777 accidents have there been?: Including MH370 and MH17, the 777 has been involved in accidents resulting in approximately 540 fatalities since 1995 — but both MH incidents involved hostile action or unexplained disappearance, not airframe failure. The only accident directly attributable to approach/landing was Asiana 214 (3 fatalities, 2013).
Which airline has the largest 777 fleet?: Emirates operates the world's largest 777 fleet with over 130 aircraft, predominantly 777-300ERs. United Airlines and Air France-KLM are the next-largest operators, each with 50-80 aircraft.
What's the difference between the 777-200ER and 777-300ER?: The 777-300ER is stretched by about 10 metres compared to the 777-200ER, seating roughly 100 more passengers. The -300ER trades range for capacity (7,370 nm vs. 7,725 nm), making it ideal for high-density long-haul routes. The -300ER uses more powerful GE90-115B engines and has a higher MTOW.
How many seats does a Boeing 777 have?: The 777-200ER typically seats 305-440 depending on configuration; Emirates' popular two-class 777-300ER seats 427 passengers in business and economy. High-density single-class 777-300s can seat over 500. The 777X-9 will seat approximately 426 in a typical two-class layout.
When was the Boeing 777 introduced?: The 777-200 entered service with United Airlines on 7 June 1995. The extended-range 777-200ER entered service in 1997, and the stretched 777-300 in 1998. The 777-300ER, the dominant variant, entered service with Air France in April 2004.

Where the Boeing 777 (all variants) flies — and what it costs

Route	Median fare	Sample size
Toronto → London	€419	941 quotes
Hong Kong → Shanghai	€130	732 quotes
Los Angeles → Paris	€435	644 quotes
London → Dubai	€622	634 quotes
London → Madrid	€130	516 quotes
Istanbul → London	€153	489 quotes
Frankfurt → Istanbul	€153	479 quotes
Amsterdam → Dubai	€696	441 quotes
Sydney → Auckland	€224	435 quotes
San Francisco → Paris	€447	397 quotes

Top routes by sample size from the last ~30 days.

Fly on the Boeing 777

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