Atlas Air announced that it has taken delivery of a Boeing 747-8 Freighter, the second of four new 747-8 Freighters ordered by Atlas Air in 2021. These are the last B747-8Fs ever to be produced by the US planemaker.
According to a statement released by Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, the parent company of Atlas Air, the new 747-8 was delivered on October 4, 2022.
“We are pleased to receive this additional 747-8F, and to add more capacity and value to our customers,” John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide said the statement.
“Atlas’ investment in these new aircraft underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship through the reduction of aircraft emissions, resource consumption and noise,” Dietrich added.
Boeing 747-8 Freighter production nears end after 50 years
The first Boeing 747 began operations in 1969, kickstarting Boeing’s 747 program, which has been in operation for more than 50 years.
However, in late July 2020, Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun announced that production of the 747 is expected to finish by the end of 2022.
Atlas Air took delivery of the first of the last four Boeing 747-8 freighters in production in June 2022. Registered as N860GT, the first Boeing 747-8 freighter was intended to be operated on behalf of Cainiao, the logistics arm of China’s Alibaba Group.
Atlas is currently the largest Boeing 747 operator, with a total of 48 747 freighters in its fleet.
UPS Airlines took delivery of its final Boeing 747-8 freighter in April 2022, leaving the carrier as the world’s second largest Boeing 747 operator, with a total of 41 747 freighters.