Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

[Johan Z 0]

Who else, apart from Lufthansa and Korean Air, have ordered the B747-8I (passenger)?

Just two of those plus private customer(s).

Edited February 14, 2011 by Johan Z

[S V Choong 4]

Some said CI (China Airlines) might be pressing ahead with ordering the 747-8i.

 

The Japanese carriers are likely candidates for the 747-8i since Japan produce a good amount of parts for 747-8i as well, IIRC.

 

The new 747-8i could have been better if it was painted in Blue... the Red doesn't look as appealing as the blue unfortunately.

[Denny Yen 0]

Why red? Something to do with Hu's USD45bil shopping list in America last month (at least 45 planes order for Boeing)?

 

 

GEnx engine.

 

More passenger seating and redesigned interiors.

 

The tranquil lighting of the new jet gives a space age sheen to air travel.

 

The 747-8 Intercontinental's cabin, featuring larger windows and new lighting, are displayed in a mock up of a berth on the plane's upper deck.

 

More pics from G.Werner, Airlinereporter.com

 

 

 

[suadrif 0]

Graceful aircraft to look at. If only MH could add a few in their collection

[Alif A. F. 0]

The aircraft looks so sleek!

[S V Choong 4]

Why red? Something to do with Hu's USD45bil shopping list in America last month (at least 45 planes order for Boeing)?

I suspect it may have something to do with Hu Jintao's order too!

 

It is such a beautiful bird.... it is much better looking than the hideous A380!

[Denny Yen 0]

[Teoh Z Yao 0]

It's a nice design all in all... Red signifies the dawn of a new era with the rising of the Sun...

[flee 5]

Boeing aims to jumpstart 747-8 sales in Middle East and Asia

 

Boeing is keen to reignite flagging sales of its 747-8, and sees Asia and the Middle East as key target markets.

 

"We really do believe that this airplane's going to sell, and it's going to sell well. We think this airplane will sell this year," says deputy 747-8 programme manager Elizabeth Lund.

 

Boeing has received 107 orders for the 747-8, including 74 freighters and 33 of the passenger Intercontinental, which was revealed to the public yesterday (13 Feb).

 

"People have been hesitant to make commitments," says airplane programmes vice-president and 747-8 general manager Pat Shanahan, adding that demand was suppressed by the global economic slowdown and questions about the delayed aircraft.

 

Shanahan says there are "many" sales campaigns ongoing and "once there's certainty around the performance of the airplane, the availability of the airplane, we think we'll see an uptick".

 

Boeing's next campaign appears to be Turkish Airlines, which said in October it was "evaluating" proposals for the 747-8I and the Airbus A380.

 

Shanahan offered an unsolicited reference to the 747-8I as being "ideally suited" for the Turkish market as a transit point in and out of Europe.

 

"Nothing would be better than putting airplanes in the Middle East," he says.

 

The 747-8I was unveiled with a 'Sunrise' livery, a direct appeal to carriers in Asia and the Middle East, where red and orange represent prosperity and good fortune.

 

The 747-8 programme remains in a loss-making position for Boeing. The company is facing tough competition from the larger A380, forcing it to use factory productivity improvements more aggressively to bolster the financial standing of the programme, says Shanahan.

 

"The market will have a lot of pressure, the A380 will price to sell," he says, adding that the company's advantage on the 747-8 freighter does not exist on the passenger model.

 

Shanahan says Boeing has seen more traction for the freighter variant, which will enter service mid-year with Cargolux Airlines.

 

"The world from a growth standpoint has recovered," says Shanahan. "There was a thought that the growth was just to replenish inventories, but the freighter side of this thing keeps going and going."

 

Interest has come from both airline cargo operations as well as large logistics companies, he says.

 

Boeing's market analysis for its largest aircraft remains conservative in comparison to its European competitor. The US airframer sees 720 large aircraft being delivered between 2010 and 2029, the vast majority of which, 520, will be freighters. Boeing forecasts 43% of those 720 aircraft being delivered to Asia, China and Southeast Asia, with the Middle East representing a further 23%.

 

Airbus, on the other hand, envisages a market for 1,740 very large aircraft, of which 1,300 will be passenger aircraft delivered over the same 20-year period. Airbus has received 240 firm orders for the A380 to date.

 

In addition to airline launch customer Lufthansa, the only airline to order the 747-8I is Korean Air, which placed an order for five of the type in December 2009. Lufthansa will see its first 747-8I delivered in early 2012.

 

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/02/14/353144/boeing-aims-to-jumpstart-747-8-sales-in-middle-east-and.html

[flee 5]

I suspect it may have something to do with Hu Jintao's order too!

 

It is such a beautiful bird.... it is much better looking than the hideous A380!

Well I almost forgot to mention, Boeing is also competing with itself. The B77W is such a good aircraft that the B747-8I will have a tough time beating its economics.

 

Already, GE needs to make a third Performance Improvement Package to the engines to ensure that the performance of the new B747-8 is in line with Boeing's original specs. Currently it is not able to deliver what it promised. Maybe more orders will come once the promised performance is delivered.

Edited February 14, 2011 by flee

[Li Ren 2]

[Ikman Ikreza 0]

Boeing B747-8I in red livery because she is Queen of the Skies. Very sexy

[Zamir 0]

Boeing B747-8I in red livery because she is Queen of the Skies. Very sexy

 

So the 747-400 will be the son of the skies

[Waiping 12]

The red color is so unlike Boeing, considering the other type-B aircrafts are mainly in blue and white when they were unveiled. Anyway, who'll be the first to produce the "big-red-one" in 1/400?

[Raymund Yeoh 1]

Now...this is what an airplane should look like......

[T Azahan 1]

Denny bro,

 

Many thanx for upload. A much better looking jumbo. In his opening speech, boeing commercial head said: "red or orange (in many parts of the world) means prosperity....". I am certain the prospect for china market has to some extent influenced the choice of colors.

[Arzman 0]

Go for it MAS!!

 

The upper deck will be exclusively suite/first/beyond first at 1 to 1, with each cubicle has its own SEPARATE seat and bed. Upper deck may have 10, 11 or max 12 suites/cubicles

 

Business, premium eco and eco seats are at the main deck.

 

To get the premium customers is another story. MH has to look into its marketing strategy, branding, and lastly the existing or future aircrafts to bring the paxs to and from KLIA, to feed and fill the 747-8 routes or for A380 too!

 

Still using rickety 734, A333 or leased 738 to JKT, MNL, SIN, BKK, BNE or PER in the next few years? therefore sorry to say, you will not go very far.

[S V Choong 4]

I have read that the 747s are too wide for a 2-2-2 business class at the main deck level and the upper deck level is a bit narrow for business class, making it less appealing for airlines to take them on.

 

Personally, if I have to say which aircraft MAS should get (which I don't really care). I think MAS should go for the 777-300ERs as it will save considerable amount of money, two engines versus four, and seems like an aircraft well suited to their needs.

Edited February 15, 2011 by S V Choong

[flee 5]

I have to say which aircraft MAS should get (which I don't really care). I think MAS should go for the 777-300ERs as it will save considerable amount of money, two engines versus four, and seems like an aircraft well suited to their needs.

I agree, all of us keyboard warriors do not have the full facts to even attempt to make airline aircraft acquisition decisions!

 

Logically, an A380 operator should complement it with the B777-300ER. MH only has one route which is beyond the aircraft, the KUL-JNB-EZE route, for ETOPS reasons. The A380 can be used for this route since it is popular. MH needs to do a bit more marketing to fill the additional seats.

 

Like us, the British are also speculating if BA should get the B757-8I

[Zamir 0]

Like us, the British are also speculating if BA should get the B757-8I

 

A new aircraft name Boeing 757-800I ?

[S V Choong 4]

I agree, all of us keyboard warriors do not have the full facts to even attempt to make airline aircraft acquisition decisions!

Nope, don't keen to be a keyboard warrior and don't really care about MAS either! My opinion is not to be taken seriously!

[Denny Yen 0]

large pics (2400x1600) here:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/5442240415_2f478ccffa_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5253/5443056883_ed091a6ae0_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5443659278_3a3d9bffc0_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5443057211_b2031a5db2_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5214/5443057299_f80d4bdda6_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5443057497_294ab868d9_o.jpg

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5140/5443057641_5b50508c06_o.jpg

[Zamir 0]

found a video the 747-8I roll out from the factory

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViJhh9tFIj8

Edited February 16, 2011 by Zamir

[Mohd Azizul Ramli 2]

The B747-8I launch customer, LH, has announced its configuration for its new fleet of aircraft.

 

Lufthansa discloses 747-8I configuration

By Jon Ostrower

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/02/13/353111/lufthansas-747-8is-to-seat-just-386-passengers.html

 

Lufthansa plans a 386-seat configuration of its new 747-8I when it arrives in its fleet in first quarter of 2012. The stretched jet will be configured with eight first-class, 80 business-class and 298 economy seats. Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Lufthansa Group fleet management, says the carrier plans a new on-board product, which altered the available space on the aircraft.

 

"We started with slightly above 400 [seats], but that was the old standard, things evolve," he says, "We find things which we can do to the passengers - which are positive - and this usually does cost a couple of seats." Details of the new on-board product were not disclosed.

 

Positioned between the 526-seat A380 and twin configuration 306- and 345-seat A340-600, the 747-8I will occupy a space that will allow the carrier to begin partly replacing its 23 747-400s and seven -400 Combis.

 

Buchholz says no timeline for the fleet's retirement has been identified, though market requirements will dictate the pace of the 747-400s' exit from the fleet. Final route selection has not yet been determined, adds Buchholz, although he says 45 of the carrier's 70 long-haul routes are candidates for the first service. Buchholz says the new aircraft will be able to meet the carrier's requirements. "All the mission profiles we want, we can meet," he says. "And actually we have very onerous points where we look for mission profiles, sometimes routes we don't fly, but we pinpoint certain areas to find if there are any weaknesses, and then we are extremely pleased when we don't find them. And I'm still pleased."

 

Buchholz anticipates a performance improvement package in the years to come and says they will have no operational impact on the aircraft "except we may save a little bit of fuel", he says.

 

The first 747-8I is slated to fly in the "early spring" - late March or April - and is expected to be certified in the third or fourth quarter following a 600h flight test campaign.

 

A total of 33 747-8I aircraft have been ordered, with Lufthansa accounting for the bulk of the backlog with 20. Korean Air holds orders for five of the aircraft, along with eight slated to be configured for head of state and VIP missions.

Now since LH will most probably not assign its A380 to BKK, let's hope that this beautiful B747-8I will do the mission instead. That's mean a KUL-BKK tag-on flight on this airliner for us to feast into!!!

[Waiping 12]

First quarter 2012? That's one year from now!