National Airlines Completes Boeing 777-200 Freighter Order

National Airlines has finalized its first direct purchase agreement with The Boeing Company, taking delivery of its fourth and final Boeing 777-200 Freighter at the manufacturer’s Everett, Washington, facility on August 24, 2026.

The arrival of the aircraft, registered as N798CA, completes a firm order originally placed during the Farnborough International Airshow on July 22, 2024. According to a press release issued by the Orlando-based carrier, the new twin-engine freighters are intended to modernize its heavy-lift capabilities and complement its existing legacy fleet.

Fleet modernization and capacity expansion

The integration of the Boeing 777-200 Freighter introduces significant operational flexibility for National Airlines. The aircraft type offers a maximum payload capacity exceeding 100 tonnes and a nonstop range of 4,970 nautical miles, subject to cargo load. These four new airframes join a cargo fleet anchored by nine Boeing 747-400 freighters, alongside Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 passenger aircraft.

National Airlines Chairman Christopher Alf stated that the delivery represents an important milestone in the company’s growth strategy.

“With four Boeing 777 Freighters now part of our fleet, we have significantly enhanced our long-haul cargo capabilities and our ability to respond to the evolving needs of our customers. We greatly appreciate our partnership with Boeing, GE and all the associated teams whose collaboration and commitment made the successful delivery of these four B777 Freighters possible,” Alf said in the release.

Rapid delivery timeline and operational milestones

Boeing executed the four-aircraft delivery schedule over a compressed five-month period. National Airlines received its first Boeing 777-200 Freighter in April 2026 at Boeing’s Seattle facility. The third airframe, registered N795CA, arrived on July 30, 2026, followed less than a month later by the final delivery.

To support the expanded fleet, the carrier secured a new engine agreement with GE Aerospace in July 2026. The order included one GE90-110B engine for the 777-200 Freighter fleet and six CF6-80C2 engines for the 747-400 freighters.

The operational impact of the new twin-engine freighters was demonstrated in August 2026 when National Airlines completed a 9,849-nautical-mile flight with one of the newly delivered jets. This set a record for the longest commercial flight operated by a Boeing 777 Freighter.

AirPro News analysis

We view National Airlines’ transition toward the Boeing 777-200 Freighter as a necessary evolution for operators heavily reliant on aging Boeing 747-400 airframes. While the 747-400 Freighter remains a highly capable platform for outsized cargo, the twin-engine economics of the 777-200 Freighter provide a more sustainable baseline for standard heavy-lift operations. The rapid induction of four factory-fresh aircraft within a single year indicates a strategic push to capture long-haul e-commerce and specialized freight contracts that demand high dispatch reliability. The recent record-setting 9,849-nautical-mile flight highlights how operators are pushing the 777-200 Freighter to its maximum range limits to bypass intermediate technical stops, thereby reducing block times and operating costs.

Sources: National Airlines