Air France-KLM settles cargo cartel case
1st March 2013
Boeing has completed the final body join (loading the forward and aft fuselage sections to join with the wing) of the first 747-8 Intercontinental in Everett. The join is a important milestone in the development of the aircraft type as it completes the structural integration and building of the new interior.
Pat Shanahan, VP and GM-Airplane Programs at Boeing, says: “We now have the first real look at the size and distinctive shape of the 747-8 Intercontinental."
The 747-8 fuselage is 250 ft.-2 in. (76.3 m.) long, or 18 ft.-4 in. (5.6 m.) longer than the 747-400. "The stretch provides space for 51 additional seats to accommodate 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration and offers 26% more cargo volume," says Boeing.
The first delivery of the 747-8I is scheduled for delivery for late 2011, while the delivery of the freighter version has been pushed back to mid-2011.