Transaero Set To Fold, Several 747-8 Aircraft On Order

Russia's second-largest airline is expected to stop flying at the end of December due to a pending bankruptcy, and it could mean significant problems for Boeing.

Transaero is one of only a handful of airlines that have expressed enough interest in the 747-8i to place firm order for the jumbo jet. The carrier has four of the airliners on the books with Boeing.

That represents about 27 percent of the total order book for the 747-8 Intercontinental, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Boeing technically has 15 orders for the passenger model of the stretched 747, but two of those came from Nigerian airline Arik Air, which some analysts think will never take delivery of the airplanes. Others are slated for Air China and Korean Air. Boeing also has two on the books from the U.S. Air Force that will eventually fly as Air Force One.

Some high-net-worth individuals have ordered 747-8 airplanes as private jets.

On the freight side, Boeing has eight orders for the plane as a freighter. The paper reports that the company had counted on more freighter orders to keep the line open.

Production of the 747-8 will likely be cut to one per month in an effort to keep the line open as long as possible.

 (747-8 pictured in file photo)

FMI: www.boeing.com