The Boeing 747, long thought to be near the end of its production life, just got a big reprieve with an order of 14 747-8F freight models by UPS. That’s about 2-1/2 years worth of production at current rates, and will keep the line open past the 747’s 50th anniversary in the air.
Boeing had earlier this year cut the production rate to 6 a year, and hinted that it might soon have to end production; the new order is the largest in several years, and comes at a time when sales are very slow for 4-engine planes.
In fact, there are almost no recent orders on the books for passenger versions of the 747 or Airbus’s A380. As a passenger plane, 4-engine widebodies have largely given way to very large 2-engine planes that can operate much more economically.
But UPS is rapidly expanding its international cargo business, and is anxious to fly fewer trips with more cargo, and from their point of view, nothing beats the 747, especially this model, whose nose swings up to allow more efficient loading and larger items, as above.
As the new planes arrive over the next three years, they will go into international service, with older 747s now flying those routes shifting onto domestic routes. The new planes can handle about 16% more cargo than the older ones.
Boeing has long predicted a late-in-the-decade demand for big freighters to replace older models. This order, which includes an option for another 14, will keep the line open long enough for Boeing to be ready if that surge happens.
