Volga-Dnepr Group subsidiary AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) took delivery on January 26 of the first of five new Boeing 747-8 Freighters it has on order.
AirBridgeCargo, based in Russia and part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, took delivery of its first Boeing 747-8 Freighter on January 26, 2012. The aircraft, shown here taking off for a test flight from Paine Field in Everett, has a maximum structural payload capacity of 154 tons (140 tonnes) and provides 16 per cent more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 Freighter
“The introduction of the Boeing 747-8F represents a huge commitment to our customers since we are investing in state of the art equipment to further expand our network,” said Tatyana Arslanova, executive president of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.
“We have a firm belief that our established and new customers will greatly benefit from the additional features the airplane will provide, such as enhanced payload,” said Arslanova. “With the introduction of the Boeing 747-8F, we’ll have the youngest freighter fleet in the industry while maintaining the highest standards of environmental compliance.”
“ABC is a valued customer of Boeing that has built a very successful cargo business with the help of 11 747 freighters and we’re confident ABC will maintain its impressive rate of growth, supported by the new fleet of Boeing 747-8 Freighters,” said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ vice president of sales for Russia, Central Asia and Middle East.
The new 747-8 Freighter is 250 feet, 2 inches (76.3 m) long, which is 18 feet and 4 inches (5.6 m) longer than its predecessor, the 747-400 Freighter. The stretch provides customers with 16 per cent more revenue cargo volume, which translates to four additional main-deck pallets and three additional lower-hold pallets.
All Boeing 747-8 Freighters are powered by General Electric GEnx-2B engines.
The addition of the 747-8 to ABC’s fleet is an important step in its long-term business strategy. ABC’s second and third Boeing 747-8Fs will join its fleet in March and September 2012 and the last two aircraft on order are scheduled for delivery in 2013. In addition, ABC holds options on five more 747-8Fs.
By the end of 2012, after retiring old aircraft types, ABC’s fleet will consist of three Boeing 747-8 Freighters and eight Boeing 747-400 Freighters.
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