Originally Posted by
Tinpusher007
Pardon my ignorance, but do we really need a 9000NM airplane to fly to PVG? The 200LR is a niche airplane; isn't that why we only have 10 of them? The 777-300ER is a very capable airframe in terms of payload and range. It seems that or even the A350-1000 would have made for a better true replacement for our whales. But I guess thats all a pipe dream with the changing situation in Asia for us.
We needed the range for DTW, JFK and ATL. Still air ultimate range is meaningless. We needed a 6500 mile aircraft going against winter headwinds and geopolitical routings not to mention alternates ect..
The A350 can do it most of the time. The 787-900 and 777-200LR can do it all the time. Airbus has bumped the 350 range a bit and is going to offer another bump.