Boeing's new 777X flagship is due to enter service in 2020. This seems like tomorrow to the company's manufacturing side as it prepares for assembly, but for the 777 sales team looking to fill the production "skyline" during the transition it could be an eternity. To smooth the move at the end of the decade from the current 777 family to the 777X, Boeing needs to drum up more sales to keep the Everett assembly line ticking at, or close to, the current 8.3 aircraft per month. There are currently 278 777-300ER and 777Fs in the firm backlog, representing just under three-years worth of production at the current rate. While the longer-term outlook appears to be positive-286 sales are already locked in for the 777X-the delivery trough between 2018 and the acceleration in deliveries of the new model from the 2020-22 timeframe onward is causing some concern.
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