Boeing revealed during the Farnborough Air Show that Luxembourg-based Cargolux selected the twin-engine Boeing 777-8 Freighter (F) as the candidate to replace its Boeing 747-400 (F).
“With the 777-8 Freighter as the preferred solution to replace our 747-400, Cargolux looks forward to continuing its existing relationship with Boeing,” said Richard Forson, president and CEO of Cargolux. The company did not mention the number of aircraft it would agree to.
According to the manufacturer, the 777-8F has nearly identical range and payload capabilities to the 747-400 (F). The twin-engine will provide 30% greater fuel and emissions efficiency and 25% improvements in operating costs per ton compared to larger, older-generation aircraft. The triple seven can carry a payload of up to 112.3 tons over a distance of 8,100 kilometers.
The company initially evaluated the Airbus A350-900 (F), but Cargolux has a relationship with Boeing and Douglas that dates back more than 50 years, when it took delivery of its first DC-8 (F). Then in 1977 it took delivery of its first 747, a 747-200 (F) named ‘Luxembourg City’.
Cargolux is currently one of the 10 busiest cargo carriers in the world, with a fleet of fifteen Boeing 747-400 (F) and fourteen Boeing 747-8 (F) connecting more than 100 cities.
