- Atlas Air on Tuesday announced an order for four aircraft for the Boeing 747-8F, the largest mass-produced cargo aircraft of the American aircraft manufacturer.
- Boeing said it would be the last 747 ever built as the program expires after half a century.
- Demand for cargo planes skyrocketed during the pandemic, and the 747 was the only thing most trucks could not get with its nose-loading door.
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Atlas Air on Tuesday announced an order for brand new Boeing 747-8F aircraft as demand for cargo continues to increase during the pandemic. The four aircraft orders worth more than $ 1.6 billion based on current list prices will grow Atlas’ 747 fleet to 57 aircraft and further strengthen the truck as the largest operator of 747 trucks in the world.
The 747-8F is the largest cargo ship produced by Boeing, based on the 747-8i passenger plane that was apparently a flop despite a successful past for the aircraft family. Boeing debuted the first 747 in 1969, and although it was once a status symbol for the world’s airlines, the aircraft was obsolete in the modern era when the focus shifted to fuel-efficient twin-engine jets that could fly just as far.
Boeing announced in July that the 747 would halt production within the next two years, as customer demand made it increasingly clear that the plane’s time had arrived. It was thought at the time that UPS Airlines or Volga-Dnepr Group’s AirBridgeCargo would be one of the last recipients of the aircraft, as the two had the outstanding orders.
For Atlas, the 747-8F offers 20% more load capacity and 16% lower fuel consumption compared to the 747-400F, of which the carrier currently has 34. And compared to the 777F, the 747-8F offers 25% more cargo capacity.
“The 747-8F is the best and most versatile wide-body cargo vessel on the market, and we are excited to strengthen our fleet with the acquisition of these four aircraft,” said John Dietrich, President and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide, in ‘ a statement said. statement.
The acquisition of the last four aircraft gives Atlas the opportunity to fly the aircraft internally or to lease it out to other carriers.
Cargo services such as Atlas have been searching for more aircraft since passenger services cut their flight schedules and took up valuable cargo space. Cargo ships that were retired and stored before the start of the pandemic were reactivated and passenger services only dedicated flights to cargo.
Read more: Emirates president reveals how the glamorous airline’s hopes for freight turned upside down as the pandemic devastated international travel
Amazon has also acquired 11 Boeing 767-300ER aircraft to be used as cargo ships for Prime Air, as it takes advantage of the downturn in the airline industry to grow its dedicated fleet. Although millions will be spent on converting it to cargo ships, it was probably bought for much cheaper than it would normally cost, as the previous owners – Delta Air Lines and WestJet – no longer needed the aircraft.
But a cargo renaissance could not stop the inevitable end of the Boeing 747 program, which has played a major role in the global logistics system over the past five decades.
“The seven-four will be missed,” Neel Jones Shah, global head of air cargo at Flexport, told Insider in a previous interview. “I’ll tell you what we’ll miss most about that plane is the nose door.”
Apart from the 747, the only civilian cargo planes with a nose door are the Antonov An-224 Mriya and the An-124 Ruslan, both of which are incredibly rare compared to the mass-produced Boeing aircraft. The plane was always meant to be a cargo ship, as Pan Am boss Juan Trippe thought supersonic jets like the Concorde would fly passengers, while traditional jets like the 747 would move to cargo.
General Electric GEnx engines with fan blades made from carbon fiber assemblies drive the 747-8F exclusively and offer a 15% increase in fuel efficiency. According to the manufacturer, the take-off power with the four engines is 66,500 pounds.
And despite a published range of 4,120 nautical miles, according to Boeing, the 747-8F can travel well over 6000 nautical miles. For example, UPS Airlines regularly flies non-stop using the aircraft between its Louisville Worldport and Dubai, although the aircraft is likely to be weight-limited to maximize range.
The Boeing 747 will fly for years to come, as cargo ships want to take advantage of most of the soon-to-be extinct aircraft. However, passenger planes quickly got rid of the Jumbo Jet with Qantas, British Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways, among others, all saying goodbye to the plane in the past year.
Boeing expects the final 747 to be delivered to Atlas in October 2022.
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