The Boeing 777X's Foldable Wingtips- Everything You Need To Know

by C.R.Prahadeeshwar

Developed in the early ‘90s, with over 1700 units built, and operated by over 60 airlines worldwide as of 2025, the 777 has become Boeing’s most popular long-haul aircraft. It has stood the test of time, only being upgraded once. Its next upgrade, the 777x, was first announced in 2013- with its first prototype flying in January of 2020.

One of the main highlights of the 777X is its ‘Foldable’ wingtips- a feature added to the 777’s wings for reasons we will explore further.

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Why are Foldable Wingtips a Game Changer for the 777X?

Boeing’s main goal with the revamped 777 was to increase the aircraft’s fuel efficiency and thus, improving its long-haul capabilities even further. Additionally, the 777X offers more seating capacity, with the 777-9 having a capacity of 426 seats and the 777-8 having space for 395 (typical 2 class config.) The 777X also houses the new GE9X engines- offering increased fuel efficiency- around 10% lower fuel consumption than its competitors. These improvements hopefully appeal to airlines, with 481 orders already being placed by more than a dozen operators.

Now, coming to the wingtips themselves- The 777X features a larger wing than its predecessor- about 7 metres longer, with the goal of increasing aerodynamic performance and efficiency. This substantial increase in the wingspan meant that the 777X now came under Category F aircraft- same as the A380 and the 747-8. Why does that matter? The Category F classification severely limits the airports the 777X can fly to, thus proving as a disadvantage to airlines. That is where the foldable wingtips come in. These, when folded, reduce the wingspan from 71.8m to 64.8 meters. This reduction now puts the 777X in Category E, same as the older versions of the wide body.

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How Do the 777X Folding Wingtips Work?

Developed by Liebherr Aerospace, the tip of the wing houses an actuator that rotates to enable the wingtip to fold or deploy- which would take a total of 20 seconds to complete. Once fully folded or deployed, electrical locking mechanisms hold it in place- only disengaging when powered. The EICAS (Engine-Indicating and Crew-Alerting System) has also been updated to show the position of the wingtips- either folded, transit, or deployed. To control the wingtips themselves, switches have been placed on the lower end of the central upper panel to enable the flight crew to control them. Upon slowing down past 50 knots (92 kmph), the wingtips fold automatically.

The wingtips are designed to withstand crosswinds of a little more than 80 knots (148 kmph) while folded. According to Boeing, both the folded and unfolded positions of the wingtips can be de-iced without concern. Additionally, systems have been put into place to ensure that the wingtips don’t remain folded during takeoff- with additional measures to be implemented by the operators themselves.