Atlas Air orders 12 Boeing 747-8Fs

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has ordered 12 Boeing 747-8 Freighters, making Atlas the North American launch customer for the airplane.

At list prices, the order is valued at about US$3.4 billion. Atlas will begin taking delivery of the airplanes in 2010 and expects all 12 aircraft to be in service by the end of 2011.

"Worldwide air cargo traffic is projected to grow by over six percent annually for the next two decades, tripling over current traffic levels for our ACMI, Charter and Scheduled Service customers," said William J. Flynn, president and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings. "With its increased capacity, greater range at equivalent payloads, and lower operating costs, the 747-8F gives our customers a cutting-edge aircraft to meet this growth in global air cargo demand. We are very pleased at our customers' enthusiasm for this next-generation freighter, and we look forward to putting it into service for them."

Atlas operates the world's largest fleet of Boeing 747 Freighters, with 20 747-400 and 15 747-200 Freighters in service with operators throughout the world. The 747-8F, which has a common pilot type rating and more than 70% parts commonality with the 747-400F, assures Atlas a seamless and low-cost introduction of the new airplane into its fleet.

Atlas provides cargo services in Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) leasing, global scheduled service, commercial charter services and U.S. military charter services.

The 747-8 Freighter improves on the current best-in-class 747-400F with 16 percent more payload capacity, due to a larger airframe that allows it to hold seven additional standard pallets while maintaining its nose-door-loading capability.

In addition, both the 747-8 Freighter and 747-8 Intercontinental (passenger) models provide improved fuel burn, achieved by an improved wing design and new engines -- General Electric's new GEnx engines, which deliver greater fuel efficiency, engine durability, weight reduction and lower overall operating costs than today's engines.

Thirty 747-8 Freighters have now been ordered by three customers since program launch in November 2005.

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