Boeing selects GE as its soul engine provider for next generation 777 aircrafts
Boeing has selected GE as its soul engine provider for next generation 777 aircrafts REUTERS

Boeing has selected General Electric Co as the only engine supplier for its upcoming 777X, throwing light on the jet-maker's plans on the next edition of its best-selling product.

In a statement, the Chicago-based company said that the twin aisled airplane, which is an improvement on the popular 777 aircraft, will enter service by the end of the decade.

"This decision to work with GE going forward reflects the best match to the development programme, schedule and airplane performance," said Bob Feldmann, vice president and general manager, 777X Development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

We are studying airplane improvements that will extend today's 777 efficiencies and reliability for the next two decades or longer, and the engines are a significant part of that effort".

Early version of 777, which is one of the most successful aircrafts ever, had incorporated engines from Rolls Royce Holdings Plc and United Technologies Corp's Pratt & Whitney.

But GE was the only engine-supplier the jet's long-range editions that have entered operations since mid-2000s.

Boeing rival Airbus' upcoming model A350-1000, which is expected to compete with the 777X will be using Rolls Royce's engine. Rolls Royce has said that it believes its proposal to Boeing was competitive.

"This decision simply maintains the existing situation in the widebody market in which we are the market leader with over 50% share," a Rolls Royce spokesman told Reuters.

"We are confident that the proposal we put forward was extremely competitive".

Although airlines are interested in an improved version of the 777, its aggressive plans have invited some criticism, especially considering that the jet-maker is still having trouble with the 787s.

One of Boeing's customers, the International Lease Finance Corp has pointed out that the current 777-300ER model is sufficient for the next decade, urging it not to develop a replacement, according to Reuters.

Boeing's 787 models continue to remain grounded on safety complaints. The company has said that it could get things fixed within weeks but this claim has drawn criticism, as industry experts pointed out that the investigations have not yet revealed the real cause of battery fire.