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Survival of Boeing 747 depends on Russia's AirBridgeCargo
BOEING is counting on Russia's Volga-Dnepr group and its cargo airline AirBridgeCargo (ABC) to keep the 747 flying after taking delivery of a new 747-8F.
"This is the best cargo plane in the world," Volga-Dnepr president Alexey Isaikin told the Seattle Times. "I believe in the future of this airplane. I hope the programme continues."
With serious doubt about how long Boeing will continue building its most recognisable plane, Mr Isaikin's support is critical. The Volga-Dnepr Group now owns 18 B747s, including 10 of the latest 747-8F model. It has 15 more on order.
Last month the planemaker slowed the production of the B747 down to a crawl of just one plane every two months.
ABC vice president Hendrik Falk said the new service out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will carry a lot of aerospace industry cargo for Boeing and its suppliers, and even for Airbus.
On its first flight on October 7 from the Everett plant where the new B747-8F was built to Seattle-Tacoma airport, the freighter was carrying heavy stands used to transport B787 engines to Boeing and now being returned to the Rolls-Royce plant in Singapore, as well as aircraft seats made in Washington state en route to Europe to be installed on Airbus jets, according to ABC.
ABC is seeing signs of the typical year-end uptick in demand as consumer goods such as iPhones and computers are shipped from Asia to North America for Christmas.
But next year "is a crystal ball topic", Mr Falk said. We're hoping 2017 will be a stronger year."
Boeing will second that. The jetmaker's website lists just 14 unfilled firm orders for the B747. But that includes four for bankrupt Russian carrier Transaero, and two for Nigerian carrier Arik Air, which doesn't want to take them. That leaves probably just eight truly firm orders on Boeing's books, including one for ABC.
Mr Falk said that the airline's commitment at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year to take 15 more 777 freighters is solid, though only one is reflected in Boeing's order book. ABC will take two of the aircraft per year, he said.
"This is the best cargo plane in the world," Volga-Dnepr president Alexey Isaikin told the Seattle Times. "I believe in the future of this airplane. I hope the programme continues."
With serious doubt about how long Boeing will continue building its most recognisable plane, Mr Isaikin's support is critical. The Volga-Dnepr Group now owns 18 B747s, including 10 of the latest 747-8F model. It has 15 more on order.
Last month the planemaker slowed the production of the B747 down to a crawl of just one plane every two months.
ABC vice president Hendrik Falk said the new service out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will carry a lot of aerospace industry cargo for Boeing and its suppliers, and even for Airbus.
On its first flight on October 7 from the Everett plant where the new B747-8F was built to Seattle-Tacoma airport, the freighter was carrying heavy stands used to transport B787 engines to Boeing and now being returned to the Rolls-Royce plant in Singapore, as well as aircraft seats made in Washington state en route to Europe to be installed on Airbus jets, according to ABC.
ABC is seeing signs of the typical year-end uptick in demand as consumer goods such as iPhones and computers are shipped from Asia to North America for Christmas.
But next year "is a crystal ball topic", Mr Falk said. We're hoping 2017 will be a stronger year."
Boeing will second that. The jetmaker's website lists just 14 unfilled firm orders for the B747. But that includes four for bankrupt Russian carrier Transaero, and two for Nigerian carrier Arik Air, which doesn't want to take them. That leaves probably just eight truly firm orders on Boeing's books, including one for ABC.
Mr Falk said that the airline's commitment at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year to take 15 more 777 freighters is solid, though only one is reflected in Boeing's order book. ABC will take two of the aircraft per year, he said.
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