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robertkc
This is fantastic news, and a real shot in the arm for the 747-8i program just when it needed it.

Well done to Boeing. 2thumbsup.gif

Now there's the other issue of Korean's woefully low cash balances, but with the upturn well and truly underway in Asia - hopefully there won't be any plunges in the value of the Korean won vs US$ like took place at the end of '08 and into early '09...

QUOTE
KAL orders five Boeing 747-8 passenger aircraft

Korean Air (KAL) has placed an order for five Boeing 747-8 passenger aircraft.

The airline expects to receive the aircraft from 2013 to 2015, says an airline spokeswoman. She adds that all five are firm orders.

The carrier will operate the aircraft on long-haul routes to the Americas and Europe, she adds.

"The 747-8 Intercontinental fills the void between the 300 and 550-seat airplanes in our future fleet," says managing VP of KAL's passenger business division Won Tae Cho.

The airline already has seven 747-8 freighters on order and expects to get its first in the fourth quarter of 2011.

It also has orders for 10 Airbus A380s and 10 Boeing 787s. The carrier will receive its first A380 at the end of next year, and will operate it on flights to Los Angeles, says the spokeswoman.

KAL's 747-8 passenger aircraft will have 467 seats, in a three-class configuration, and an 8,000nm range, says the airline. It will also be quieter and more fuel-efficient, it adds.

"The 747-8 provides nearly equivalent trip costs and 13% lower seat-mile costs than the 747-400, plus 26% greater cargo volume," says the airline.


Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
errol wöbcke
QUOTE (robertkc @ Dec 5 2009, 12:03 AM) *
This is fantastic news!

QUOTE
KAL orders five Boeing 747-8 passenger aircraft

Korean Air (KAL) has placed an order for five Boeing 747-8 passenger aircraft.

The airline expects to receive the aircraft from 2013 to 2015, says an airline spokeswoman. She adds that all five are firm orders.

The carrier will operate the aircraft on long-haul routes to the Americas and Europe, she adds.

"The 747-8 Intercontinental fills the void between the 300 and 550-seat airplanes in our future fleet," says managing VP of KAL's passenger business division Won Tae Cho.

The airline already has seven 747-8 freighters on order and expects to get its first in the fourth quarter of 2011.

It also has orders for 10 Airbus A380s and 10 Boeing 787s. The carrier will receive its first A380 at the end of next year, and will operate it on flights to Los Angeles, says the spokeswoman.

KAL's 747-8 passenger aircraft will have 467 seats, in a three-class configuration, and an 8,000nm range, says the airline. It will also be quieter and more fuel-efficient, it adds.

"The 747-8 provides nearly equivalent trip costs and 13% lower seat-mile costs than the 747-400, plus 26% greater cargo volume," says the airline.


Source: Air Transport Intelligence news



Yes it is. I am astonished that this second order has been so long in being written. Nothing I have been able to access has gived head-to-head real operating costs for the two 'big' airframes. With a 748 pax count of 467, how much more economical can the A380 be with the pax counts as operated by QF SQ et al?
Stitch
The A380-800 is still going to have a not-insignificant payload and range advantage, so likely where the 747-8 Intercontinental is going to find it's market niche is where airlines are operating the 77W where they're leaving payload behind as the 747-8 will lift 10t more payload and fly it 500nm farther, so at 77W maximum payload, the range advantage should be even farther. And the 747-8 will be up to 20% more fuel efficient than a 747-400, so that should narrow the fuel cost delta advantage the 77W has over the 744.
DfwRevolution
Wow, snow in Houston, TX and a second 747-8I order! Hell hath frozen over tongue.gif

DAL767-400ER
QUOTE (Stitch @ Dec 4 2009, 04:22 PM) *
The A380-800 is still going to have a not-insignificant payload and range advantage, so likely where the 747-8 Intercontinental is going to find it's market niche is where airlines are operating the 77W where they're leaving payload behind as the 747-8 will lift 10t more payload and fly it 500nm farther, so at 77W maximum payload, the range advantage should be even farther.

Or on routes that could use a plane bigger than the A380 but where the destination airport is not willing to invest into upgrades to be A380 capable shifty.gif

*hopes to see the KE 784I at ATL asap*
Stitch
QUOTE (DAL767-400ER @ Dec 4 2009, 10:52 AM) *
QUOTE (Stitch @ Dec 4 2009, 04:22 PM) *
The A380-800 is still going to have a not-insignificant payload and range advantage, so likely where the 747-8 Intercontinental is going to find it's market niche is where airlines are operating the 77W where they're leaving payload behind as the 747-8 will lift 10t more payload and fly it 500nm farther, so at 77W maximum payload, the range advantage should be even farther.

Or on routes that could use a plane bigger than the A380 but where the destination airport is not willing to invest into upgrades to be A380 capable shifty.gif


KE had enough A388s and 77Ws on order to replace their entire 744 fleet, however the 77W carries 40-90 less people. So it's possible KE is indeed tailoring the plane for the route:

A380-800 for the "high-density" routes served with the ~385 seat 744s and the 748/77W for the routes served by ~334 seat 744s where if the route can profitably support more people, it get's a 748. And if it can't, it gets a 77W.
CoachBoy
QUOTE (DAL767-400ER @ Dec 4 2009, 01:52 PM) *
Or on routes that could use a plane bigger than the A380 but where the destination airport is not willing to invest into upgrades to be A380 capable shifty.gif

*hopes to see the KE 784I at ATL asap*


I think we'll see 748's at LAX as well. Daytime A380 movements there would be an absolute fiasco. I'm not sure what improvements ATL would need other than the special jetbridges. It has the size necessary. Would the taxiways need reinforcing?
DAL767-400ER
QUOTE (CoachBoy @ Dec 5 2009, 12:11 AM) *
I think we'll see 748's at LAX as well. Daytime A380 movements there would be an absolute fiasco. I'm not sure what improvements ATL would need other than the special jetbridges. It has the size necessary. Would the taxiways need reinforcing?

Taxiways would need reinforcing, 09R/27L would need widening, IIRC, and there'd have also be several new turns in the taxiway system since the A380 would get stuck in the grass with the current turns. And aside from that, neither the gates at Concourse F nor adjacent taxiways will be wide enough for the A380.
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