LONDON – Atlas Air has taken delivery of its second of four 747-8 Freighter aircraft, which will be the last four of the aircraft ever to be built by Boeing after it confirmed it was shutting down all its jumbo production.
Atlas Air Last Customer
Atlas Air will be the last customer to receive the Boeing 747-8 freighter, which is able to career a 20 per cent higher payload capacity and 16 per cent lower fuel burn consumption than its predecessor the Boeing 747-400F, which was one of the most used cargo aircraft around the globe, with the 777F alongside it.
John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide said: “We are pleased to receive this additional 747-8F, and to add more capacity and value to our customers,”
“Atlas’ investment in these new aircraft underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship through the reduction of aircraft emissions, resource consumption and noise.”
The iconic 747 program has been in operation for over 50 years now and the aircraft have and continue to play a key role in the global supply chain, but the future of aircraft now is a widebody dual engine, which can fly further and more efficiently per mile, their time is now limited before we will see all of them slowly retire.
Boeing is replacing it with its recently announced 777X-8F which will be the newest generation of a freighter from the US manufacturer, while its main European competitor Airbus announced the A350F which will be their first dedicated freighter aircraft in over a decade, with most Airbus freighter being a passenger to freight conversations.
747-8F A Long-Term Plan For Atlas Air
The 747-8 Freighter has been a long-term target for Atlas Air who took delivery of their first of four new orders now four months ago back in June and expect to have the final two delivered some the end of 2023.
Commenting on their order back in January 2021, Atlas Air Worldwide’s President and Chief Executive Officer, John W. Dietrich, said, “The 747-8F is the best and most versatile widebody freighter in the market, and we are excited to bolster our fleet with the acquisition of these four aircraft.”
“This significant growth opportunity will enable us to capitalize on strong demand and deliver value for our existing and prospective customers.”
“The efficiency and capability of the 747-8F further complement our longstanding focus on leading-edge technology.”
While it is a shame that the 747 programs have now ended, the 747-8 will allow Atlas Air to expand into new markets and offer its customers as the carrier says, greater value while also offering greater capacity, something which has become majorly important with the sharp increases in e-commerce sales which have left air freight companies globally stretched and under massive expansion plans over the last two years to try to keep up with the ever-growing demand.
In addition to this, it also marks a sad day for Aviation enthusiasts as the last 747 was spotted coming off the final assembly line today which now marks the end for this great aircraft and its long and proud history, well in terms of production at least, as we will likely see these planes grace our skies for another 20 years before they are all retired due to age.
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