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The Boeing 777, a widely used long-haul aircraft, was designed without winglets, a feature commonly seen on many modern airplanes. Instead, the 777 uses raked wingtips, which are backward-swept extensions at the end of each wing. This design choice allows the aircraft to gain similar aerodynamic benefits as winglets—such as reduced drag and improved fuel efficiency—without increasing the wingspan or adding extra weight.
Raked wingtips help ensure that the Boeing 777 can fit into standard airport gates. This is particularly important for an aircraft focused on long-haul operations, where flexibility in airport compatibility is essential. If winglets had been added to the 777’s wings, its overall width would have exceeded 65 meters, pushing it into ICAO aerodrome code F. This category includes much larger planes like the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 and would have limited the airports where the 777 could operate.
The wingspan of both the Boeing 777-200LR and -300ER models measures 64.8 meters—just under ICAO code E’s upper limit of 65 meters. According to Skybrary, code E covers aircraft with wingspans between 52 and 65 meters, such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A330. By keeping within this category, airlines operating the 777 maintain greater operational flexibility.
