Boeing has confirmed “orders and commitments” for 17 of the new B747-8 Intercontinental aircraft, although at this stage the customers remain undisclosed.
The announcement, which includes a commitment for 15 aircraft from one carrier, and an order for two from another airline, means that so far a total of 50 Intercontinental’s are set to go into production, along with a further five for Air China, subject to government approval.
Lufthansa is the commercial launch customer for the next-generation Boeing jumbo, although the first B747-8 Intercontinental will actually be delivered to a VIP customer. Korean Air has also ordered five of the aircraft.
Boeing unveiled the aircraft for the first time earlier this year, with the first aircraft sporting a red-orange “sunrise” livery – for images click here. The aircraft is 5.6 metres longer than its 747-400 predecessor, and one metre longer than the Airbus A340-600, making it the world's longest passenger aircraft.
Visit boeing.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
