A 20 Year Old Boeing 777 in 2025

Flying El Al’s Refurbished 777 – Between Premium, Compromises, and Global Reality

This week, I had the chance to fly one of the more intriguing aircraft in El Al’s fleet: the Boeing 777-200.An aircraft over 20 years old, it was stored during the COVID period and has recently returned to service following a cabin refurbishment.

El Al’s goal is clear: to bring back a large, reliable, and highly profitable aircraft and adapt it to 2025 standards, while trying to approximate the experience offered by the airline’s flagship Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

But can an aging widebody truly be transformed into a modern premium product?And how does El Al’s decision fit into what’s happening globally with the 777?

Context: El Al in Recent Years

Founded in 1948, El Al is far more than just another airline. Its history is deeply intertwined with the history of Israel itself, from airlifting immigrants and rescue missions to maintaining global connectivity, while preserving unique characteristics such as Sabbath observance and strict kosher standards.

In recent decades, the airline has faced chronic financial losses, intense competition from foreign and low-cost carriers, the COVID crisis and a government bailout, and privatization under the ownership of Eli Rosenberg.

Then came a period of heightened geopolitical instability. While many foreign airlines suspended or reduced flights to Israel, El Al continued operating almost normally, even under security threats.

The result is a growing market share, record profitability, and a unique position as a small but exceptionally resilient airline.

The Fleet: The Numbers Are Misleading

El Al’s average fleet age stands at around 12 years, a figure that sounds reasonable but hides significant disparities.

The Boeing 787-9 and 787-8 Dreamliners are relatively young aircraft and form the backbone of long-haul and premium routes. The Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 fleets consist of aging narrowbodies for short- and medium-haul flights. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft are over 20 years old, some refurbished and some not.

By global standards, El Al is a very small airline with fewer than 50 aircraft including leased planes and Sun d’Or operations. However, its fleet is entirely Boeing, and El Al is widely regarded as one of the most security-focused airlines in the world, both in the air and on the ground.

Why the 777 to Bangkok?

El Al prefers deploying the 777 on the Bangkok route for several reasons.

The aircraft offers higher capacity than the 787 thanks to denser seating in Economy, Premium Economy, and even Business Class. The Bangkok route is characterized by a high proportion of families and leisure travelers, consistently strong demand, and an almost complete monopoly on nonstop flights.

The result is consistently full aircraft, high fares, and maximum yield optimization.

Veteran El Al passengers will remember the aging Boeing 747s once used on this route, with tired cabins, frequent technical issues, and a premium product that lagged far behind competitors. The refurbished 777 is intended to close that chapter.

Ground Experience: King David Lounge

Premium passengers are hosted at El Al’s King David Lounge at Ben Gurion Airport, which has recently undergone a light refresh with additional seating, new sofas, and a basic buffet featuring salads and pizza.

This is not a luxury lounge by Middle Eastern or Asian standards, nor does it compete with flagship lounges from British Airways, Delta, or Lufthansa. Still, it is functional and adequate, though far from inspiring.

The Cabin: Familiar, Comfortable, and Dated

Business Class

The Business Class cabin closely resembles El Al’s Dreamliner aesthetic, with brown tones, Recaro seats, and a 1-2-1 layout offering direct aisle access. The seat converts into a fully flat 180-degree bed, and legroom actually feels slightly more generous than on the 787.

That said, this is clearly a previous-generation Business Class product. There are no privacy doors, personal space is limited, screens are smaller and lower in resolution, and the control interface feels outdated.

This design was introduced roughly a decade ago, while many airlines have already moved on to more advanced concepts.

Premium Economy

Capacity was clearly prioritized in Premium Economy.

The cabin features four seats in the center section instead of three, resulting in reduced shoulder space. Footrests and leg supports are present but add little real comfort.

The result is a Premium Economy product that feels uncomfortably close to an upgraded Economy Class, especially on flights lasting ten to eleven hours.

Economy Class: More Seats, Less Space

In Economy Class, the difference compared to the Dreamliner is noticeable.

El Al added an extra row, resulting in more seats, more passengers, and less personal space. From a business perspective, this makes perfect sense, as the aircraft is consistently full and every additional seat directly increases revenue.

From a passenger perspective, the experience is less positive. Legroom feels tighter, the cabin feels crowded throughout the flight, and comfort is reduced for taller passengers and families.

Maintenance and Cleanliness: A Clear Weak Spot

This is difficult to ignore, as the aircraft feels tired.

Scratches, worn components, and visible signs of aging are common throughout the cabin. My Business Class seat was not properly cleaned, with crumbs left on surfaces and air vents near the floor clogged with dust.

These are issues that simply should not occur in Business Class, especially on a premium long-haul flight departing from the airline’s home base.

Service: The Bright Spot

El Al’s cabin crews remain excellent. They are warm, efficient, flexible, and genuinely service-oriented.

This is not the cold, distant service found on some European or U.S. carriers, but rather a human and attentive approach. The TUMI amenity kit, welcome drinks, and personal interaction are all well executed.

Food and Entertainment: Consistently Underwhelming

The chef-designed meals feel decidedly average. They are served on a single tray, offer limited variety, and fall short in both presentation and flavor compared to true premium standards.

One positive highlight is the wine list, which features high-quality Israeli wines.

The entertainment system feels outdated, with a limited and stale content library.

What Other Airlines Did with the 777: The Emirates Case

To understand what is truly possible with a large Boeing 777 fleet, one must look at Emirates, the world’s largest operator of the type.

Emirates invested billions of dollars in an extensive retrofit program that included a completely new Business Class, a true Premium Economy cabin, refreshed Economy Class, and upgraded materials, lighting, and finishes.

These upgrades allow 20-plus-year-old 777s to remain competitive even against newer aircraft such as the A350 and 787.

Even Emirates Knows This Is a Temporary Solution

Despite the massive investment, Emirates does not view refurbished 777s as a long-term flagship product.

At the same time, Emirates is the world’s largest customer for the Boeing 777X, which is intended to become the backbone of its future long-haul fleet. Legacy 777s are therefore on a gradual exit path.

And if even Emirates, with virtually unlimited resources, views the refurbished 777 as a stopgap solution, it is obvious that El Al does not see its refurbished 777 as a long-term flagship either.

The 777X Effect: Why the World Is Moving On

The upcoming Boeing 777X fundamentally changes the equation. It offers a wider cabin, significantly better fuel efficiency, lower noise levels, and a platform designed for next-generation premium cabins.

As a result, airlines are ordering the 777X, deferring major investments in legacy 777 cabins, and converting older 777s also into freighters.

Globally, the message is clear. The classic passenger 777 is nearing the end of its lifecycle.

So Where Does This Leave El Al?

El Al’s strategy is straightforward.

There is no 777X order. The fleet is small and capital-constrained. There are a handful of extremely profitable routes such as Bangkok. And large aircraft must remain viable for several more years.

The refurbishment is therefore good enough to sell Business Class, new enough not to deter passengers, but far from ambitious.

Bottom Line

This is not a failure. It is a calculated compromise.

Pros include a comfortable seat and full-flat bed, excellent cabin crew service, and a strong sense of security and reliability. Cons include an outdated cabin concept, weak maintenance and cleanliness, underwhelming food and entertainment, and high seat density.

Overall score: 6 out of 10, generously.

El Al has excellent people in the air and a solid operational base. If it wants to be perceived as a true premium airline in 2025, however, there is still a long way to go.