Qantas looks to buy more Boeing 747s (but for parcels, not people)
By David Flynn, March 7 2013
While Qantas has annointed the Airbus A380 as its flagship, the airline has its eye on buying more Boeing 747s – although these are special cargo versions designed to carry freight rather than frequent flyers.
The largely windowless 747F series shares the same body as the 747-200 and more modern 747-400 jets, with a nose section that swings up for the fast loading of pallets or cargo containers through the front of the plane as well as the side doors.
Boeing produced only 166 of the empty-bellied jumbo freighters before switching to a similarly cargo-friendly version of the new 747-8 jetliners.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Qantas is in negotiations to buy as many as four second-hand Boeing 747-400 freighters, the price of which "has tumbled over the past year due to high fuel prices."
Freight remains a key part of the mix for many large airlines, with Cathay Pacific this week ordering three new Boeing 747-8 Freighters in a deal worth $1 billion at list prices.
Cathay already runs eight Boeing 747-8 Freighters, which CEO John Slosar saying that "the 747-8 Freighter has provided our revamped cargo fleet with efficient fuel savings as well as added environmental benefits."
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Oct 2012
Total posts 130
I bet Boeing were wishing QF would purchase their 747-8 instead, even for freight . Not many airlines are jumping onto this aircraft at all with sales for it being very slow.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Jan 2013
Total posts 12
There was a too big gap between the A380 release and 747-8. It seems many airlines went for the larger capcity released earlier, and now boeing is trying to get orders for a big, expensive passenger aircraft when most of the major airlines have already signed on for the A380.
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