Tag Archives: JA12KZ

Boeing 747-800 Intercontinental receives FAA approval for 330-minute ETOPS

Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) has received 330-minute Extended Operations (ETOPS) approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. It is the first time a four-engine airplane has received this type of design approval.

With this approval, required for four-engine passenger airplanes built after Feb. 2015 to fly beyond 180 minutes from an en-route alternate airport, the 747-8’s design is approved to conduct 330-minute ETOPS missions. These missions allow operators to fly long-distances more directly on virtually any worldwide city pair routing.

Although ETOPS has been a requirement for twin-engine airplanes since the 1980s, the regulations have recently been applied to the design of passenger airplanes with more than two engines.

With 83 airplanes in service with 11 customers, 747-8s have logged more than 619,000 flight hours and more than 101,000 flight cycles.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-8KZF N50217 (JA12KZ) (msn 36137) climbs away from Paine Field near Everett.

Boeing 747 aircraft slide show:

Boeing downgrades the 747-8 production rate to 1.5 aircraft per month

Boeing (Chicago) has just announced that it will adjust the production rate for the 747-8 program from 1.75 airplanes to 1.5 airplanes per month through 2015 because of lower market demand for large passenger and freighter airplanes.

The company expects long-term average growth in the air cargo market to begin returning in 2014, and forecasts global demand for 760 large airplanes (such as the 747-8) over the next 20 years, valued at $280 billion.

The 747-8 family provides airlines with double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency, operating costs and emissions, while being 30 percent quieter and adding more capacity. To date, the 747-8 has accumulated 107 orders for passenger and cargo versions, 56 of which have been delivered.

The first delivery at the new production rate is expected in early 2014. The production rate change is not expected to have a significant financial impact.

Copyright Photo: Nick Dean/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 747-8KZF N50217 (JA12KZ) (msn 36137) climbs away from the runway at Paine Field near Everett, WA.