Boeing Celebrates Premiere of New 747-8 Intercontinental

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- Thousands gather for unveiling of only airplane to serve 400-500 seat market
- New 747 delivers unrivaled efficiency, new benchmark in environmental performance, welcoming interior for passengers

Boeing today unveiled its new 747-8 Intercontinental, the new high-capacity passenger aeroplane that offers airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger aeroplane while providing enhanced environmental performance.



Approximately 10,000 guests, including customers, Boeing employees, government officials, partners and suppliers, gathered in the factory in Everett, Wash., to witness the première of the Intercontinental at an event themed "Incredible, Again." Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Albaugh said the newest 747 incorporates technological advancements that make it an extremely productive aeroplane for customers.



"The new 747-8 Intercontinental features the latest in innovative technologies — applying many of the breakthroughs also found on the 787 Dreamliner," said Albaugh. "We think our customers will value the low operating costs and passengers will enjoy the comfort of the striking new interior."



"The 747-8 Intercontinental will be a great complement to our fleet, fitting nicely into the 400-seat category, improving our fleet's eco-efficiency even further," said Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Lufthansa Group Fleet Management. "As launch customer, we are looking forward to welcoming this new aircraft to our fleet next year as it adds to our ongoing fleet modernization and environmental efforts."



Korean Air and VIP customers have joined launch customer Lufthansa in ordering a total of 33 747-8 Intercontinentals. First delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental is scheduled for the fourth quarter.

"As the only airplane in the 400 to 500-seat market, the 747-8 Intercontinental will give operators an airplane perfectly suited for long, heavily traveled routes around the world," said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager, Airplane Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The new 747-8 Intercontinental will set a new standard in economic and environmental performance, while providing a world-class passenger experience."

The 747-8 Intercontinental will have the lowest seat-mile cost of any large commercial jetliner, with 12 percent lower costs than its predecessor, the 747-400. The aeroplane provides 16 percent better fuel economy, 16 percent less carbon emissions per passenger and generates a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than the 747-400. The 747-8 Intercontinental applies interior features from the 787 Dreamliner that includes a new curved, up swept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort, while adding more room for personal belongings.

The aeroplane unveiled today is painted in a new Sunrise livery of red-orange that only will appear on the first 747-8 Intercontinental and is a significant departure from Boeing's standard blue. The new colour palette honours many key Boeing customers whose cultures recognize these colours as symbols of prosperity and good luck.

News Release Issued: EVERETT, Wash., Feb. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/

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http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/news/newsItems/381408

Brussels Airport ready for the new 747-8F

Brussels Airport, March 1st, 2011 - Brussels Airport was officially certified as a Boeing 747-8F compatible airport by the Directoraat-Generaal Luchtvaart, the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority.

For many decades the 747 full-freighter has been the most widely used cargo aircraft for intercontinental traffic. At Brussels Airport too, many cargo airlines use this type of aircraft. The 747-8F is the latest version of this cargo plane. The first plane of this type rolled off the production line only last year. The design of the new plane is based on the state-of-the-art technology developed for the Boeing 787.

With a length of 76.3 meters, the new Boeing 747-8F is 5.6 meters longer than its predecessors in the 747 family. Its wingspan of 68.4 meters exceeds the 747-400's by 4 meter. Since last week Brussels Airport is officially certified as "747-8F ready".

Despite the impressive payload of 140 metric tonnes (154 tonnes) fuel consumption is cut by 16% making the aircraft eco-friendlier. The use of new generation engines and materials and the improved design also make this new Jumbo quieter than its predecessors.

Currently the new Boeing full-freighter is going through an elaborate test program. The first commercial delivery of the plane is expected by the end of the year. As a few of Brussels Airport's major cargo customers, Korean Air Lines (South Korea) and Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong), are among the first to be adding the 747-8 to their fleet, Brussels Airport will probably be one of the first in the world where the new cargo jumbo is to be spotted on a regular basis.

Other new generation full-freighters too are finding their way to Brussels Airport. At the end of 2010 Aerologic started operating flights using a Boeing 777F and Hong Kong Airlines announced its intention to start operations to Brussels later this year using an Airbus 330F. These planes too achieve better fuel economy, are quieter and provide better performance than their predecessors.

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Right now webcast of the first flight of the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental: http://goo.gl/JHQhg

Follow it on flightradar24: http://www.flightradar24.com/?lat=47.7&lon=-121.6&z=6

The weather conditions are superb.

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First picture of take-off: http://twitpic.com/4bi87z

A better one issued later: http://twitpic.com/4bis4z

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Flightradar24 does not seem to show the aircraft. Here is another site giving the flight details in real time: http://fr.flightaware.com/live/flight/B ... /KPAE/KBFI

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Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Conducts Successful First Flight
Newest passenger member of 747 family touches down after four-hour, 25-minute flight

The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental successfully began its flight test program today, taking off from Paine Field in Everett, Wash., before more than several thousand employees, customers, suppliers and community leaders. The airplane landed four hours and 25 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The 747-8 Intercontinental's first flight marks the beginning of a flight test program that will finish in the fourth quarter.



With 747 Chief Pilot Mark Feuerstein and Capt. Paul Stemer at the controls, the newest member of the 747 family took off at 9:59 a.m. and landed at 2:24 p.m. local time.



"What a great privilege to be at the controls of such a great airplane on its first flight," said Feuerstein. "And what an honor to share this day with the thousands of men and women who designed and built this airplane."

Today's flight was the first of more than 600 flight hours in the test program for the new 747-8 Intercontinental. The airplane followed a route over Eastern Washington, where it underwent tests for basic handling and performance. The airplane reached a cruising altitude of 19,000 feet (5,791 meters), and a speed of up to 250 knots, or about 288 miles per hour (463 kilometers).



"This a great day for the 747-8 team and for all of Boeing. What an honor it is to see such a beautiful airplane fly," said Elizabeth Lund, vice president and general manager of the 747-8 program. "I want to thank everybody who had a hand in designing, building and preparing this airplane for flight – our engineers, our manufacturing employees, our colleagues in Boeing Fabrication, our colleagues in Boeing Test & Evaluation, our external suppliers – for all their hard work."

The 747-8 Intercontinental will have the lowest seat-mile cost of any large commercial jetliner, with 12 percent lower costs than its predecessor, the 747-400. The airplane provides 16 percent better fuel economy, 16 percent less carbon emissions per passenger and generates a 30 percent smaller noise footprint than the 747-400. The 747-8 Intercontinental applies interior features from the 787 Dreamliner that includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort, while adding more room for personal belongings.

Korean Air and VIP customers have joined launch customer Lufthansa in ordering a total of 33 747-8 Intercontinentals. First delivery of the 747-8 Intercontinental is scheduled for the fourth quarter. Air China also has agreed to order five Intercontinentals, pending government approval.

The airplane is painted in a new Sunrise livery of red-orange and is a significant departure from Boeing's standard blue. The new colors honor many key Boeing customers whose cultures recognize these colors as symbols of prosperity and good luck. The Sunrise livery only will appear on the first 747-8 Intercontinental, which is scheduled to be delivered to a VIP customer at the end of the year.

News Release Issued: SEATTLE, March 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/