Boeing and Lufthansa celebrate the flyaway of first passenger 747-8 Intercontinental

Boeing (BA) and Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Frankfurt) today celebrated the flyaway of the first 747-8 Intercontinental delivered to an airline. Boeing and Lufthansa employees joined leaders from both companies, media and suppliers for a delivery ceremony at the Future of Flight Aviation Center beside Paine Field airport in Everett, Washington. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa; Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Group Fleet Management, Lufthansa; and Elizabeth Lund, Boeing vice president and general manager, 747 Program, boarded Boeing 747-830 D-ABYA (msn 37827) with about 30 passengers and crew for the flight taking the airplane from Everett to Lufthansa’s home base at Frankfurt, Germany.

When the airplane lands at Frankfurt on May 2, Lufthansa will host a special celebration. The airplane will begin regular revenue service on June 1 on a flight from Frankfurt to Washington (Dulles).

The 747-8 Intercontinental will bring double-digit improvements in fuel burn and emissions over its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The 747-8 Intercontinental’s Dreamliner-inspired interior includes a new curved, upswept architecture giving passengers a greater feeling of space and comfort, while adding more room for personal belongings. It is powered by GE Aviation’s GEnx-2B engines.

Copyright Photo: Boeing.

Lufthansa Slide Show: CLICK HERE

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