endpiece
The customer drives
Tom Hoang, regional director marketing - cargo, at aircraft manufacturer Boeing Commercial Airplanes, believes that growth in air cargo traffic over the next couple of years will lead to an increase in the need for more long-haul freighters
“Air freight is a challenging industry but it is also very interesting, and we have seen high levels of interest in regard to various aircraft.
In terms of the B777 freighter, we have 88 orders, and we have delivered 39 of those.
It’s a great aircraft, very efficient. It offers a 16 percent reduction in fuel costs compared to the B747-400F and CO2
emissions are
correspondingly lower. It’s capable of carrying 102 tonnes and has a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260km), plus it can carry three-metre-high pallets, so you can interline with it.
Customers for the B777F demonstrate a wide geographical spread: in Europe they include Air France, AeroLogic and Lufthansa; in Asia, China Cargo Airlines, Korean Air and China Southern; in the Middle East, Emirates and Etihad; and in the US FedEx has the highest number of B777 freighters of any customer with 23 orders – and half those aircraft have already been delivered.
We’ve had interest in the B777F from leasing companies too – among them GECAS with an order for eight, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) also for eight, and Guggenheim for three of the aircraft.
The B747-8 freighter, too, is looking good, with 76 firm orders from seven customers already received. The B747-8F builds on the proven performance of the B747-400F. It’s a 220-inch stretch of the -400F and carries 134 tonnes (20 tonnes more than the -400F) with a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,334km).
The first delivery to launch customer Cargolux is targeted for mid- year. What’s unique about it is the new wing. It has 787 engine
technology so compared to the B747-400F, it’s a bigger aircraft but has the same trip cost. Tonne-km costs are reduced by 15-17 percent and it’s very efficient and quiet – 30 percent quieter than the B747-400F.
There is plenty of interest in the aircraft. In Asia, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Korean Airlines have all placed orders. Elsewhere, Atlas, Cargolux and Emirates have all ordered the B747-8F. With this high demand for newbuild freighters there is also a more immediate need for passenger- to-freighter conversions.
The 767BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) programme is stalling a little because the residual value of the passenger aircraft is still high, given the delays to the B787 programme. However, the 747BCF is getting a lot of interest.
Boeing also has a plan in hand to convert the passenger versions of the B777-200 and B777-200ER (Extended Range) aircraft to freighter configuration. The challenge is that the 777s, even the early deliveries, still have a high residual value, so customers look at the value and cost of conversion and they have to decide. Our customers drive the process to an extent.
The B777-200ER BCF would have a revenue payload of 80 tonnes, whereas the production-built B777-200LR can carry 104 tonnes. Therefore, if a customer goes with the 777-200ER BCF, he could step up to the 777 production freighter when he is ready. The commonality in the family allows for an easy transition.
30 AIR LOGISTICS CHINA
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