Reference

Boeing 777F

The long-haul twin-engine workhorse. Payload, cargo hold, door size and typical role below.

Boeing 777F cargo aircraft
Photo: 4300streetcar · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Maximum payload
107,000 kg
Cargo volume
653 m³
Cargo hold (L × W × H)
44.12 × 5.82 × 3.15 m
Cargo door
3.72 × 3.15 m

About the Boeing 777F

A twin-engine freighter carrying just over a hundred tonnes, and the aircraft that took most of the long-haul work the 747 freighter used to do.

Two engines rather than four cut trip fuel substantially for a payload not far short of a 747-400F, which is what made it the default choice on intercontinental cargo routes. Production is winding down as the 777-8F comes in behind it.

What it carries

  • Palletised general freight
  • Express and e-commerce
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Perishables
  • High-value cargo

How it is built

  • A main deck cleared of cabin fittings and floored to take pallets and containers, with a cargo door in the forward or aft fuselage large enough to accept a full-height pallet.
  • A powered roller and ball-mat floor system that lets a loaded pallet be pushed into position by one handler rather than lifted.
  • Locks in the floor that engage the pallet base and hold the load against flight loads without separate lashing.
  • A rigid barrier behind the flight deck separating the crew from the cargo compartment, with a smoke-detection and suppression system covering the deck.
  • Lower-hold compartments retained under the main deck, taking the same LD-series containers a passenger aircraft carries.

Why it is used

  • The highest payload and volume of any air freight equipment, which is what makes long-haul air cargo economic at all.
  • Takes standard ULDs, so the load is built up away from the aircraft and craned aboard in minutes.
  • Main-deck height accepts tall and awkward pieces that would never fit a belly hold.
  • Long range with a full load, so intercontinental sectors fly without a technical stop.

What to check before booking

  • Needs a main-deck loader and a widebody-capable stand, which limits the airports that can handle it.
  • Payload and range trade against each other: a full structural payload usually means a shorter sector.
  • Freighter capacity is concentrated in a few hubs, so the routing may add a road leg at either end.
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