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Fast Facts: Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 family comprises three passenger models--the 767-200ER (Extended Range), 767-300ER and 767-400ER--and the 767-300ER Freighter, which is based on the 767-300ER fuselage.
In 1978, Boeing announced it was building two new airplanes--the 757 and 767. Production of the 767 began on July 14, 1978, when United Airlines placed a $1.2 billion order for 30 of the new twinjet airplanes.
The 767 and 757 flight decks were designed to share common technologies and systems, which streamlined future production and manufacturing and introduced the common flight deck. The flight deck allowed pilots a joint certification to fly both airplanes. The 757 was up to 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the 727s it was designed to replace.
Two aviation innovations debuted with the 767 and 757 that set the standard for future jet transports: the two-crew glass cockpit and extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS). ETOPS enabled twin-engine commercial carriers to fly long-distance routes--such as over water or remote areas--that are farther than a distance of 60 minutes flying time from a diversion airport.
On Aug. 4, 1981, Boeing rolled out the first 767 from the Everett, Wash., factory. United Airlines entered the first 767 into revenue service on Sept. 8, 1982, with a flight from Chicago to Denver.
The first 767-200ER (Extended Range) airplane was delivered to El Al Israel Airlines in March 1984.
On May 29, 1985, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approved 767s for long-range flights of up to 120 minutes from an alternate airport.
In March 1989, the FAA approved the 767 as the first jetliner for 180-minute ETOPS. This allows more direct, time-saving trans-Pacific and trans-Atlantic flights from many U.S. gateways.
To date, 767s have flown more than 27 billion nautical miles on 7.7 million flights and carried millions of passengers. About 1.3 million of the 7.7 million flights were on extended operations (ETOPS) rules.
767-300 and 767-400
Boeing launched the 767-300 program on Sept. 29, 1983, when Japan Airlines placed an order. Boeing rolled out the first 767-300 on Jan. 14, 1986, from the Everett, Wash., factory. On Sept. 25, 1986, Boeing delivered the 767-300 to Japan Airlines.
Boeing launched the 767-400ER (Extended Range) program on April 28, 1997, with Delta Air Lines' order for 21 airplanes. Boeing rolled out the first 767-400ER on Aug. 26, 1999, and delivered Delta Air Lines' first two airplanes in August 2000. Delta entered the 767-400ER into revenue service on Sept. 14, 2000, on a flight from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
The three passenger models differ primarily in length. The 767-300ER is approximately 10 feet (3.1 m) longer than the 767-200ER, and the 767-400ER is approximately 11 feet (3.4 m) longer than the 767-300ER.
A few record-setting milestones
On June 10, 1990, a Royal Brunei 767-200ER set a new distance record for twinjet airliners--flying 9,253 statute miles (14,890 kilometers) from Seattle to Nairobi, Kenya, in 17 hours and 51 minutes.
On July 27, 1989, an Air Seychelles 767-200ER set a new distance record for a commercial twinjet--flying 8,893 statute miles (14,309 kilometers) from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Seychelles in 16 hours and 49 minutes.
On April 18, 1988, an Air Mauritius 767-200ER set a new distance record for commercial twinjets--flying 8,727 statute miles (14,042 kilometers) from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Mauritius in 16 hours and 27 minutes.
On June 1, 1984, the first 767-200ER for Ethiopian Airlines set a twinjet airliner distance record--flying 7,500 statute miles (12,082 kilometers) from Washington, D.C., to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 13 hours and 17 minutes.
An airplane of "firsts"
- First two-crew flight deck on a widebody airplane
- First common pilot type rating, which is shared with the Boeing 757
- The 767 and 757 introduced the glass cockpit to commercial aviation
- First to use brakes made of carbon fiber
- First airplane to achieve both 120-minute and 180-minute extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) approval
- First widebody airplane to offer a choice of three passenger sizes--the 767-200ER, 767-300ER and 767-400ER
- First large commercial airplane to use efficiency-enhancing 'raked' wingtips
For more information on the Boeing 767 family, visit: www.boeing.com/commercial/767family/index.html