Korean Air has ordered two more Boeing 747-8 Freighters to add to five 747-8Fs and five 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jets it has already purchased.
Boeing values Korean Air’s new 747-8F order at $639 million at list prices.
“Korean Air continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the world’s leading global cargo carriers,” says Marlin Dailey, vice president of sales & marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Boeing is very fortunate to have Korean Air not only as a customer of the 747-8 Freighter, but also the 747-8 Intercontinental and also as a key partner on the 747-8 program.”
A follow-on order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters by Korean Air on March 18, 2011 increased the South Korean airline’s total purchase of the type to seven aircraft. Korean Air has also ordered five 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft
In December 2009, Korean Air became the first airline to order both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8.
The 747-8 Freighter offers a range of 4,390 nautical miles (8,130 kilometers) and a maximum structural payload capacity of 154 tons (140 tonnes). It also offers an additional 4,221 cubic feet (120 cubic meters) and 16 per cent more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400 Freighter.
Korean Air currently operates 27 Boeing freighter aircraft and according to Boeing will become one of two airlines to operate both the 747-8 Freighter and the 777 Freighter.
The other is probably Emirates, with aircraft to be leased from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. Lufthansa has said it will order 777Fs and has already ordered 20 Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft.
Korean Air was the number one cargo airline in the world for the sixth consecutive year in 2009, according to World Air Transport Statistics compiled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).