December 2015

 

Air France 747 Bowing Out

 

Air France is offering customers a unique experience on a special tribute flight over France, with views of the country’s legendary landmarks.

 

More than 45 years after the first Boeing 747 flight from Paris to New York on June 3, 1970 Air France salutes the last flight of this legendary and distinct aircraft on flight AF747.

 

Flight AF747 will take off on January 14, 2016 at 11:30 a.m. from Paris-Charles de Gaulle. The experience will include a Business class lunch and champagne for all passengers, with special inflight commentary and tour of France’s history and legendary landmarks.

 

 

November 2015

 

Cargologicair Takes Flight

 

Cargologicair, the new all-freighter airline set up in the UK by Volga Dnepr Group, is expected to be operating from Stansted by early 2016, using an ex-AirBridgeCargo 747-400F.

 

While there still appears to be a veil of secrecy over the operation, Denis Ilin, executive president of sister airline AirBridgeCargo (ABC), confirmed that the two carriers will be working in partnership. “Cargologicair will present ABC with a significant opportunity to extend our network beyond what we can do alone."

 

 

September 2015

 

Cargolux at 45

 

Cargolux took delivery of brand new Boeing 747-8R7F LX-VCM. The new delivery was flown to Luxembourg and is in service between Luxembourg and Los Angeles via Prestwick. The new Jumbo freighter is painted in a whimsical “You name it, we fly it” special livery created by Belgian cartoonist Philippe Cruyt. This colorful jet is helping Cargolux celebrate 45 years of flying and is displaying some of the odd things the airline has flown in its history.

 

 

June 2015

 

Volga-Dnepr Orders 20 747-8F at Paris

 

Volga-Dnepr's made a tentative deal to acquire another 20 Boeing 747-8 freighters. This was big news on day three of the 2015 Paris air show.

 

The Russian cargo specialist is looking to expand a 747-8 fleet operated by its AirBridge Cargo division.

Deliveries of the additional 20 would take place over the next seven years, says Boeing, through a mix of purchase and leasing. Under the agreement, Volga-Dnepr will also provide its Antonov-124-100 aircraft for the transportation of aviation equipment for Boeing and its partners, Boeing said.

 

 

Feb 2015

 

Lufthansa Unveils Retro 1970s Livery on Latest 747-8i

 

The next scheduled delivery of a 747-8i to Lufthansa evokes the golden age of longhaul travel with a retro-styled new livery. This is all part of the 60th anniversary of the post-war Lufthansa, which commenced commercial operations in 1955. Lufthansa was originally formed in 1926 as Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G. based in Berlin.

 

Lufthansa started comercial operations with the Boeing 747 in 1970.

 

 

 

Jan 2015

 

747-8i Confirmed as Air Force One

 

Boeing has welcomed the US Air Force's decision to skip a competition and opt for the 747-8, citing its 50-year history of building presidential aircraft.

 

The US Air Force currently operates two VC-25s, specially configured Boeing 747-200Bs for Presidential transport. "The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States (that) when fully missionized meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission," said Air Force Secretary Deborah James in a statement.

 

 

 

Nov 2014

 

747-8 VIPs Takeoff!

 

VIP models of the Boeing 747-8 have made up fully a third of passenger model deliveries since they started in 2012. Since then, eight aircraft out of 24 passenger 747-8s delivered, have been VIP versions.

 

The slow sales and deliveries of the 747 are a significant problem, with just 42 aircraft remaining on Boeing's order books. Boeing’s hopes for more orders rest largely on the freighter version of the jet. The airfreight business has been in a prolonged slump, but this year has shown signs of increasing demand.

 

 

 

Oct 2014

 

Air China is Second 747-8i Commercial Operator

 

Air China, the Beijing-based airline, received the first of seven 747-8i aircraft at a ceremony at the Boeing Future of Flight museum.

 

Starting on October 11th, Air China plans to start -8 operations between its Beijing hub and domestic destinations such as Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. The airline says long-haul flights from Beijing to Frankfurt are expected to begin later this year, with Los Angeles and New York coming at a later date. 

 

Air China says it chose the airplane because of its operating economics and positive experience with the -8's older cousin, the 747-400.

 

 

Aug 2014

 

Air Force One and the 747-8?

 

The U.S. Air Force will decide by December whether Boeing will have a share in a multibillion-dollar project to provide the next Air Force One jetliner for the president.

 

The Air Force has budgeted $1.6 billion for research through 2019 and is “working toward release” of a request for proposals early next year with a schedule to purchase the first aircraft in fiscal 2016.

 

The military hasn’t ruled out buying 747-8 passenger planes from Boeing and then using other contractors to outfit them for the special needs of the presidential fleet. Airbus said last year that it wouldn’t challenge Boeing to build the plane.

 

 

Aug 2014

 

Atlas Air Inc., Upbeat for 2014

 

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a leading global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services, recently announced encouraging performance in the first half of 2014 and the positive direction of market trends so far this year.

 

Atlas state that airfreight volumes continue to improve, and recent forecasts suggest that airfreight demand may grow by several percentage points in 2014 – the first real growth after three essentially flat years. Airfreight yields continue to lag behind, however, and there is still limited visibility into peak-season yields, demand and second-half military requirements. 

 

 

 

July 2014

 

Boeing Keen To Improve 747-8

 

A renewed sales push and technical upgrades are intended to ensure production rates can slowly increase again. The current 747-8i has a design range of 7,700nm with full reserves and 467 passengers. (The -8F has a 4,400nm range with a full payload of 135 tons). The goal is to increase the range of the -8i to 8,200nm should customers require this. 

 

In addition Boeing has design plans to improve the aircraft aerodynamics and therefore performance efficiency. Upgrades already implemented include the PIP engine programme, stabiliser fuel tank activation and a flight management computer (FMC) modernization, among others.  

 

 

 

May 2014

 

Lufthansa Takes 13th 747-8i

 

Lufthansa was the launch customer for the 747-8 Intercontinental and took delivery of the first one in April 2012. Their 13th aircraft was delivered in early May. The airline currently flies the 747 to 22 destinations in 10 countries. Over the years, Lufthansa has ordered a total of 81 747s.

 

Lufthansa's first 747, a 747-100, was delivered in 1970. The airline was also the first to order the 747-200 Freighter. 

 

 

 

May 2014

 

Boeing Lowers Its 747 Production Rate

 

Since its launch, Boeing has received orders for 120, 747-8s. 69 of these have been for its freighter version while the remaining 51 have been for its passenger version. Boeing has delivered 69 747-8s against these orders through April 2014 and therefore has a backlog of 51. Additionally, many airlines who ordered these aircraft do not have their deliveries scheduled in the near future.

 

In February, Boeing lowered its 747 production rate to 1.5 airplanes per month from 2, and plans to maintain these lower production rates through 2015.

 

 

 

April 2014

 

Silk Way 747-8Fs Nearing Delivery

 

The Azerbaijani cargo carrier has firm orders for two 747-8Fs and will take two more from GECAS. Delivery of the first aircraft is due in August.

 

Silk Way operates services to destinations in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.