Boeing quietly launches the 777X: the world's longest aircraft

Boeing serenely unveiled its last airliner, the 777X, last week, despite the grounding of its 737 MAX 8.

Nicknamed the longest airliner in the world, this event was delayed by several days and discredited the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash the week before.

The debut took place on Friday at Boeing's manufacturing facility near Seattle.

The 777x will have a length of 77 meters and a wingspan of 72 meters, which will make it longer and wider than the last 747 Jumbo jet.

The 777-9X will be the larger of the two models with three additional rows of seats and can carry up to 425 pbadengers. It will be more fuel efficient and will travel 400 km further, giving it a range of over 14,000 km.

The second model, the 777-8X, will accommodate between 350 and 375 pbadengers and will travel more than 16,000 km, making it a challenger for the Airbus A350, the largest jet in the world.

Its increased performance comes from advanced ultra-aerodynamic wings. Made of carbon composite materials, they will bend dramatically, presenting a curve like that of their Dreamliners.

The wings are so wide that they have presented a challenge to get them into the current airport. Boeing has therefore created a unique wing folding mechanism to allow them to adjust.

The 777X will replace the 777-300ER, which typically carries 350 to 400 pbadengers. It is an essential part of the fleet of long-haul carriers such as Virgin Australia, Singapore and Emirates.

As a commercial airline, the Boeing model is a little short to be used for the Qantas Project Sunrise.

Qantas wishes to have nonstop flights from the east coast of Australia to New York and London by 2022.

See also: Boeing Unveils Extreme Private Long Range Jet That Can "Connect Two Cities"

See also: An airline abandons half of its A380s: why nobody wants the superjumbo