The "NCA Green Freighter" stops at Anchorage. Copyright Photo: Rainer Bexten.

NCA-Nippon Cargo Airlines (Tokyo) is the first Japanese airline company to adopt an innovative new paint system, developed by Mankiewicz Gebr. and Company of Germany.  The company will operate an “NCA Green Freighter” with its nose painted in two shades of green.

The newly painted Boeing 747-481F freighter JA04KZ (msn 34283) named “NCA Pegasus” became operational as the Green Freighter on Friday, May 8, taking off for Shanghai.

The improved paint, which incorporates new ingredients, covers the base material of the fuselage with thin layers of paint, effectively reducing the weight of the fuselage by around 45kg per aircraft. This reduction in weight will cut the amount of fuel consumed by about 42 drums per year. 

The new paint is also weather-resistant, making it less vulnerable to rain and exposure to ultra violet rays, which cause degradation in color and gloss, while there is less paint stripping than with existing paint systems. This will extend the working life of the aircraft’s paint. It also reduces the amount of cleaning agent to be used and the polluted water that is discharged as it requires less frequent washing. The new paint system has a number of positive effects that help preserve the environment.