747-400 Freighter Destined For AirBridgeCargo

It's a jumbo milestone for the original "jumbo jet." On Thursday, Boeing delivered its 1,400th 747 -- a 747-400 Freighter delivered to GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) for lease to AirBridgeCargo Airlines, a subsidiary of the Volga-Dnepr Group.

"We are honored to receive the 1,400th Boeing 747," said Gennady Pivovarov, senior vice president of Production, AirBridgeCargo Airlines. "The 747 is a high-quality, reliable airplane that plays a critical role in our success."

The 1,400th 747 is the seventh 747 freighter in the AirBridgeCargo Airlines fleet, joining five 747-200/-300 Freighters and a 747-400 Freighter. The Volga-Dnepr Group also has ordered five of Boeing's upcoming 747-8 Freighters. Boeing is slated to deliver the first 747-8 Freighter in late 2009 and the first 747-8 Intercontinental in late 2010.

"This milestone speaks to the strong foundation laid at the very beginning of the 747 program," said Ross R. Bogue, vice president and general manager, 747 program and Everett site. "Boeing has delivered seven times more airplanes than the initial market estimate of 200 units, which was projected when the 747 entered service. This is a tribute to the hard work and dedication that our Boeing employees, suppliers and the community have put into this program."

The 1,400 747 airplanes assembled at the Everett site have established a strong track record. The 747 has completed more than 17 million flights through 2007. It has logged approximately 89 million flight hours or more than 10,000 years of flight time. The airplanes have flown approximately 42 billion nautical miles, which is equivalent to making nearly 203,000 trips to the moon.

The airplane's accomplishments will continue to grow as the program builds out the remaining industry-leading 747-400 Freighters and begins production of the new 747-8 family.

"We can all take great pride in the achievements the 747 has made and will continue to make with the new 747-8," Bogue said. "The Boeing 747 has an unparalleled record of reliability, which is illustrated by the number of airplanes in service today."

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.gecas.com, www.volga-dnepr.com