British Airways World Cargo has taken delivery of its final two Boeing 747-8 Freighters. The group now has three of the new generation freighters, replacing its fleet of 747-400s. The new freighters offer performance and environmental benefits and are the first freighter aircraft since 2000 to be branded with British Airways’ livery.
The 747-8s are supplied through a five-year wet lease agreement with Global Supply Systems, a 49 per cent UK affiliate of Atlas Air.
They will serve existing schedules to destinations including Stansted, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Chicago, New Delhi, as well as new routes through Nairobi, Madrid and Johannesburg.
Jude Winstanley, senior vice president for IAG Cargo says: “Our new routes illustrate not only our commitment to the global industry, but also the ongoing importance of Africa as a resilient part of our global network. We remain committed to our long-term freighter partnership with GSS and Atlas Air.”
In comparison to the 747-400, the new aircraft will be able to hold a further seven pallets and has a maximum payload capacity of 133.9 metric tonnes.
