Tag Archives: Boeing 747

Boeing to cut the 747-8 production rate to only one aircraft per month

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has announced it will cut the 747-8 Intercontinental production rate by 23 percent from 1.3 aircraft to only one aircraft starting in March 2016 according to Reuters quoting Boeing sources. The company is currently building 1.5 aircraft per month and this was planned to be reduced to 1.3 in September despite a recent order by the Volga-Dnepr Group.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Royal S. King/AirlinersGallery.com. Lufthansa has always been a keen supporter of the 747 and pushed Boeing for the updated 747-8 model. Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-830 D-ABYT (msn 37844) in the 1968 retro scheme lands at Paine Field near Everett.

Boeing 747 slide show:

Air France moves up the last Boeing 747-400 revenue flight

Air France (Paris) is moving up the planned Boeing 747-400 retirement date (subject to further changes). The last planned Boeing 747-400 revenue flight has been moved from March 26, 2016 to January 10, 2016 according to Airline Route. The last flight is currently flight AF439 departing from Mexico City on January 10, 2016 and arriving at Paris (CDG) the following day at 2:25 pm (1425).

Copyright Photo: Brian McDonough/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-428 F-GITE (msn 25601) arrives at Miami International Airport.

Air France aircraft slide show:

Transaero unveils its Boeing 747-400 Siberian Tiger livery on EI-XLN in support of the Amur Tiger Center

Transaero Airlines (Moscow) has unveiled at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport, the official presentation of the joint project with the Amur Tiger Center of the new “Siberian Tiger” livery on the pictured 447-seat Boeing 747-412 EI-XLN (msn 28029). The special color scheme is designed to “draw attention of the international and Russian public to the issues of environmental protection and conservation of rare and endangered species.”

The airline continued:

The project, called “Striped Flight”, has acquired the characteristics and features of the tiger with the nose of the aircraft adorned in the image of the head of the Amur tiger.

According to surveys conducted in 2015, the Amur tiger population in Russia in the wild has stabilized at around 510-540 individuals.

In the coming decade, the fate of tigers and the whole natural complex will largely depend on the concerted action of the international community. The airline and the Amur Tiger Center have joined forces under the motto: “Let’s save nature together.”

In flight, Transaero passengers on “Striped flight” will be able to view the documentaries produced by the Center under the “Siberian Tiger” project.

The Amur Tiger Center, located in Moscow and Vladivostok, specializes in the protection of Siberian Tigers.

All photos by Transaero Airlines.

Transaero Airlines aircraft photo gallery:

Transaero Airlines aircraft slide show:

A stowaway falls from a British Airways Boeing 747-400 on approach to London Heathrow, another survives

British Airways (London) and other authorities are investigating how two suspected stowaways were able to get on a British Airways Boeing 747-400 flight from Johannesburg to London (Heathrow) yesterday (June 18). One man fell to his death while the Jumbo was on approach to LHR, landing on the roof of a business on Kew Road in Richmond.

A second man, who was found hiding in the wheel well of the aircraft, has been hospitalized with injuries, the airline stated.

According to CNN, British Airways also stated it is working with authorities from both countries to get more details.

Johannesburg and London are about 6,000 miles apart. The flight, under freezing conditions in the wheel well, is nearly 12 hours in duration.

Read the full report from The Telegraph: CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. British Airways Boeing 747-436 G-BNLP (msn 24058) approaches the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport.

British Airways aircraft slide show:

Volga-Dnepr Group signs MOU for 20 additional Boeing 747-800F freighters

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Volga-Dnepr Group (Moscow) (Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Atran Airlines and AirBridgeCargo Airlines), a world leader in transportation of unique, oversize and heavy cargo, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further the Group’s fleet expansion with 20 additional 747-8 Freighters (above), valued at $7.4 billion at list prices.

The agreement also adds the Antonov-124-100 aircraft (below) to the long-term logistics support for Boeing and its partners.

According to Boeing:

Boeing and Volga Dnepr have a long history of successful partnership. The Group has already supported Boeing in a number of shipments. The unique technical abilities of the Antonov 124-100, along with Volga-Dnepr’s 25 years of global operations and experience gained in transportation of aviation equipment, will further serve Boeing’s logistics needs.

For Volga Dnepr Group, adding more 747-8 Freighters will allow development of the Group’s scheduled business, AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), and keep the airline’s high growth rates. Volga-Dnepr Group was the first to order the Boeing 747-8 Freighter in Russia and took delivery of its first 747-8 Freighter in 2012. These additional 20 airplanes will be acquired through a mix of direct purchases and leasing over the next seven years.

The new 747-8 Freighter gives cargo operators the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large freighter airplane while providing enhanced environmental performance. It is optimized to provide greater revenue cargo-carrying capability than the 747-400, offering 16 percent more cargo volume while keeping its unique nose door.

Volga-Dnepr Group has represented the Russian airfreight industry in the international market since 1990. The Group, which includes three leading Russian all-cargo carriers – Volga-Dnepr Airlines, AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Atran Airlines – has a multinational team of 3,500 employees in fifteen countries.

Volga Dnepr currently operates 10 Antonov An-124-100s and five Ilyushin Il-76TD-90VDs, all modified under the Group special upgrade program and capable of flying to any point of the world. The fleet also includes 14 Boeing 747s – comprised of five Boeing 747-400ERFs (Extended Range Freighters), three Boeing 747-400 Freighters, six Boeing 747-8 Freighters – and three Boeing 737-400Fs.

Top Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. AirBridgeCargo Airlines-ABC Boeing 747-8HVF VQ-BRJ (msn 37670) taxies at Amsterdam.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) aircraft slide show:

Volga-Dnepr Airlines aircraft slide show:

Atran Airlines aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Volga-Dnepr Airlines Antonov An-124-100 RA-82044 (msn 9773054155109) stops at Los Angeles International Airport.

United Airlines to end New York JFK operations, will move its trans-con p.s. service to Newark

United Airlines (Chicago) is giving up on making a profit at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The carrier has just announced it will end all service on October 25 at JFK, where it failed to make a profit for the past seven years due to the lack of connections to other cities. United is moving it’s trans-continental p.s. service to its Newark Liberty International (EWR) hub. Delta is expected to acquire United’s JFK slots and United is expected to acquire some of Delta’s slots at Newark (subject to approvals).

The airline issued this statement:

United Airlines, the U.S. airline industry’s trans-continental leader, will bring the airline’s “p.s.” Premium Service to its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport in October. Beginning October 25, all regularly scheduled Newark-Los Angeles and Newark-San Francisco flights will offer:

flat-bed seats in the United BusinessFirst cabin;

premium in-flight service;

more extra-legroom Economy Plus seats than any other carrier; and

modern interiors with in-flight Wi-Fi and personal on-demand entertainment with

individual seatback monitors and power ports for customers in every row.

With the addition of p.s. service at Newark Liberty, United customers flying on trans-continental flights to and from Newark in the BusinessFirst cabin will, for the first time, enjoy flat-bed comfort for their entire journey when connecting to and from flights across United’s extensive trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific networks.

United will cement its role as the leader in trans-continental flying with more than 1,250 daily flat-bed seats – the most in the New York market – and a 44 percent increase in flat-bed seats year-over-year. The airline will fly up to 17 daily round trips Newark-San Francisco and up to 15 daily round trips Newark-Los Angeles, leading the industry with a total of up to 10,000 round-trip seats offered per day on the two combined key transcontinental routes.

Manhattan business travelers, particularly those who work on Wall Street and throughout lower and western Manhattan, enjoy easy access to Newark Liberty, the most convenient of the three New York-area airports.

With its launch of p.s. services at Newark Liberty, United will cease operations at Kennedy International Airport on October 25. United has entered into two separate transactions: Delta Air Lines plans to acquire United’s JFK slots, and United plans to acquire slots from Delta in Newark. Each transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

In launching p.s. service at Newark Liberty, United will move several Boeing 757-200 aircraft currently allocated to trans-Atlantic markets to p.s. flights. As it does so, the airline will increase the number of widebody Boeing 767 aircraft on trans-Atlantic flights, offering larger United BusinessFirst cabins and, on many flights, United Global First service.

United has already announced plans to introduce widebody Boeing 767 service on Newark flights to and from Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin and Hamburg.

United offers nearly 500 daily departures from the region to more than 150 destinations – the most in North America, the most across the Atlantic, the most across the Pacific and the most to and from Latin America.

Top Copyright Photo: Jay Selman/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 757-222 N505UA (msn 24626) arrives at JFK International Airport.

United Airlines current livery aircraft slide show:

United Airlines historic liveries aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Bruce Drum/AirlinersGallery.com. United has a lot of history at JFK. It once flew Boeing 747-100s from JFK from its own terminal. Boeing 747-122 N4710U (msn 19755) taxies to the runway at JFK in the past.

United Airlines and Air China expand their codeshare agreement

United Airlines (Chicago) and Air China (Beijing), members of Star Alliance, have announced plans to expand their code-sharing cooperation, covering an additional 22 routes in the China and U.S. markets. With this expansion, United and Air China will codeshare together on more than 110 routes, offering customers the most comprehensive route network between the U.S. and China.

Air China will place its CA code on United-operated flights on 12 additional U.S. domestic routes: from Los Angeles to Dallas/DFW, Cleveland, Tucson, San Antonio, New York/Newark and Seattle; from San Francisco to Salt Lake City and Austin; from Washington, D.C./Dulles to Columbus and Tampa; and from Houston/Bush Intercontinental to Tampa and Nashville. United will place its UA code on Air China-operated flights on 10 additional domestic routes in China: from Beijing to Mianyang, Taiyuan, Sanya, Shanghai Hongqiao, Yinchuan, Xining, Liuzhou, Haikou and Lanzhou; and from Shanghai Pudong to Yinchuan.

These new code-sharing routes will be open for sale from June 2, 2015.

Air China and United have enjoyed a successful cooperative relationship since 2003.

Air China in the U.S.

Air China has six gateways in the U.S.: New York/JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston/Bush Intercontinental, Washington, D.C./Dulles and Honolulu.

United in China

United began nonstop service to China in 1986 and today serves Beijing with nonstop flights from Chicago, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington/Dulles; Shanghai with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, Los Angeles, New York/Newark and San Francisco; Chengdu with nonstop flights from San Francisco; and Hong Kong with nonstop flights from Chicago, Guam, New York/Newark, San Francisco, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.

Top Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. San Francisco (SFO) is United’s main gateway to the Pacific. Boeing 777-222 ER N786UA (msn 26938) arrives at the SFO hub.

United Airlines aircraft slide show:

Air China aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Mark Durbin/AirlinersGallery.com. Air China’s newly delivered Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental has been put into service on the carrier’s Chongqing – Beijing – San Francisco route starting in May 2015. This is Air China’s second route to North America operated with the “Queen in the Sky” after the airliner was introduced on the carrier’s Beijing-New York route at the beginning of this year. The pictured Boeing 747-89L B-2487 (msn 44932) rests between flight at San Francisco International Airport.

Avatar Airlines turns to crowdfunding for start-up capital

Avatar Airlines (Boca Raton, Florida), as we previously reported, is a proposed new paper airline that wants to operate high-density Boeing 747-400s on “popular domestic routes with attractive low fares”. The new airline previously reported its had submitted an application to the DOT and the FAA for operating authority as an air carrier. A core component of its business plan to offer corporate sponsors the opportunity to advertise on the exteriors of the aircraft as well as in the interiors of the aircraft.

Now according to USA Today, the proposed airline has turned to crowdfunding for capital funding in order to obtain a Part 121 AOC and start operations. The entity has a funding campaign target of $5 million.

Above: Avatar is offering this shirt for every $50 donated to the start-up on their Facebook page.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

All images by Avatar Airlines.

Videos by Avatar Airlines:

Virgin Atlantic plans to operate the last Boeing 747 flight from Heathrow in April 2016

Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) has tentatively scheduled the last Boeing 747-400 revenue flight for Heathrow Airport with an arrival on April 18, 2016 in London. According to Airline Route, the last planned flight is currently flight VS 006 departing Miami at 9:50 pm (2150) on April 17, 2016 and arriving the next day (April 18) at London (Heathrow) at 11:30 am (1130).

Virgin Atlantic has operated the Boeing Jumbo since its inception on June 22, 1984. The pictured ex-Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 747-287B G-VIRG (msn 21189) (above), named “Maiden Voyager”, operated the first Virgin Atlantic flight between London (Gatwick) and Newark.

Top Copyright Photo: Richard Vandervord/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-287B G-VIRG (msn 21189) holds short of the runway, ready for departure from Gatwick Airport. Click on the photo for the large view (note the humorous painted-on painter falling off the tail and dropping red paint on the fuselage).

Virgin Atlantic aircraft slide show:

Bottom Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Virgin Atlantic added the first Boeing 747-400 on April 28, 1994 with the arrival of Boeing 747-4Q8 G-VFAB (msn 24958) “Lady Penelope”. Sister ship Boeing 747-4Q89 G-VBIG (msn 26255) arrives at London (Heathrow).

Boeing 737 MAX LEAP-1B engine begins its flight test program on a Boeing 747-100 at Victorville

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and CFM International announced yesterday (May 7) that they successfully initiated flight testing of the LEAP-1B* engine on April 29 on a modified ex-Pan Am Boeing 747-100 (see below) flying testbed at GE Aviation Flight Test Operations in Victorville, California.

According to Boeing, “The testing is the next major milestone in a two-year program that will culminate in engine certification in 2016 and delivery of the first Boeing 737 MAX in 2017. The engine performed well and completed multiple aeromechanical test points at various altitudes during the five hour, 30 minute first flight.”

Above photo: CFM International.

The LEAP-1B engine (above) is the exclusive powerplant for the Boeing 737 MAX family and is part of the most extensive ground and flight test certification program in CFM’s history. The first LEAP-1B engine began ground testing on June 13, 2014, three days ahead of the schedule set when the program was launched in 2011.

Over the next several weeks, the flight test program will encompass a comprehensive test schedule that will gauge engine operability, stall margin, performance, emissions and acoustics. It also will further validate the advanced technologies incorporated in the engine, including the woven carbon fiber composite fan, the Twin-Annular, Pre-Mixing Swirler (TAPS) combustor, ceramic matrix composite shrouds in the high-pressure turbine and titanium aluminide blades in the low-pressure turbine.

To date, the 737 MAX has accumulated 2,724 orders from 57 customers worldwide.

* The LEAP-1B is a product of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Snecma (Safran) and GE.

Video: From CFM International: Who do jet engines work?

Bottom photo: Boeing. The test airframe is the pictured GE Aircraft Engines Boeing 747-121 N747GE (msn 19651) seen departing from Victorville with the test engine. The historic Jumbo was originally delivered to Pan Am as N744PA on June 21, 1972.