The 747-8 Intercontinental, the passenger version, is expected to fly next year.īoeing expects the economic recovery will mean an increased demand for both air freight and airline passengers. In fact, the plane that made Monday's flight - airframe RC501 - is configured as a freighter, and Boeing has 76 orders for the cargo plane. Unlike the A380, which only carries passengers - albeit a lot of them - the 747-8 continues the model's long history as a successful cargo carrier. "It's not the quarterback, it's a defensive player." "It plays a strategic role," Aboulafia said. The 747-8 gives airlines another option when shopping for supersized planes, and that keeps the pressure on Airbus while the European company tries to recover the cost of developing and building the A380. Boeing is countering by offering two planes - the 747-8 and the 787 Dreamliner - that it says offer superior fuel economy and greater flexibility for the airlines to fly more routes.Īerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia says it is important for Boeing to maintain a foothold in the big-airplane market. Airbus is tempting the airline industry with a huge plane that offers low per-passenger costs because of the large number of people it can carry. But then Airbus came along with the A380 and dethroned the king. It was the biggest commercial plane in the skies, and it carried the title for more than 35 years. Boeing ushered in the jumbo-jet era with the first 747 exactly 41 years ago today. The plane might not be profitable now, but it is important. Boeing took a $1 billion dollar charge on the 747-8 program last fall after continued setbacks and a weakened market, and it concedes the 747-8 isn't profitable yet, even though there are dozens of orders on the books. Monday's inaugural flight followed years of delays for both the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 programs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |