Jaww

We are keeping them. We will lease to our JV partners and they will fly our routes with them. If it works out we will give the 787s too.

skidmark

Spirit bought them. I could find any yellow paint yesterday. (Jk)

SOFA

Remember back when Southwest bought AirTran? SD very assertively stated in a memo, “We are in no way interested in the B-717s and WILL NOT be acquiring them. Period.” Sometimes the best way to let your employees know your intentions is to vigorously assert the opposite. So, we get it 😉

Planetrain

The DC9s were rumored to be parked for years and years before they finally went to beer can heaven. Funny how the 777 goes from rumor to Nov 1 in a matter of months. #2020 👎

sailingfun

Most likely they will simply be parked. Not much market for 777’s at the moment especially the ER’s. The company mentioned the LR’s and sim may have some value.

senecacaptain

my guess is the only people buying 777's anytime soon will be cargo operators.

TransWorld

There is a large backlog, if you will, in the desert candidates. I imagine the beer can makers have a full backlog for years and years ahead.

simuflite

I don't understand the rumor behind FedEx taking the 8 ERs...
It would be more logical for them to take the 10 LRs, as they share the same engine as the 777F (plus all of the avionics and other rotable parts), plus they'd get 3 simulators out of a potential deal (2 full flights, 1 FTD).
As mentioned previously, there is no freighter conversion program for any 777-200 model; nearly every -200/-200ER retired to date has been scrapped immediately upon retirement or after a ~5 year lease to Russian operators.
That is, up until now, where a business case for a -200 BCF (or P2F) program may be justified. American, United, and Delta all have large 777 fleets from the mid to late 90s that are certainly on the chopping block.
Currently the only conversion program for the 777 is for the -300ER model, and this program is still in development.

Gone Flying

only way I can see the 8 ERs going to FDX is if they end up getting more RR -200s from another operator. The LRs are probably going to a cargo operator if Boeing creates conversion program.

simuflite

Agreed, 8 units won't be enough to justify the business case. If BA offloads their RR units, then you have more feed stock to justify it.

Another possibility is that they are "staying" long enough to use as collateral or a down-payment/trade-in to Boeing for the rumored Max order. Boeing Capital may end up owning them.

It should be noted that the 777-300ER conversion program is backed by GE and IAI and Boeing is not party to it.