747 eight series arrives with Cathay and British Airways

Cathay Pacific Airways has begun to receive the first of its new fleet of Boeing 747-8 freighters, technically the maiden passenger airline to begin flying the largest ever Boeing, but in fact second after specialist carrier Cargolux.  At the present time Cathay does not have the all-seater version on order.  The airline will receive a total of 10 of the new-generation aircraft – the world’s largest commercial air freighter – with four being delivered by the end of this year.

Late last week British Airways also took delivery of what is the world’s largest air freighter, Global Supply Systems (GSS) a 51% British company acting on behalf of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc (49%).  GSS will operate the new freighter for British Airways World Cargo through a five-year wet-lease agreement.

The Boeing 747-8F employs innovative technologies to bring about significant efficiency improvements.  These include a high-lift, low-drag wing that enhances payload and range performance, a simplified flap system to reduce noise and maintenance costs, and the breakthrough GEnx engine. www.gssair.co.uk www.boeing.com/commercial

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