In 120 years of flight, few aircraft types have changed the way we think about flying as the Boeing 747 has. The aircraft has become an icon of travel in the second half of the 20th century. Let’s find out which airlines and operators fly the Boeing 747-8i in both passenger and cargo versions.
This post:
- Which Airlines Fly The Passenger 747-8i?
- The Best 747-8 Livery?
- Which Airlines Use the Boeing 747-8F Freighter?
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Which Airlines Use Passenger Version of The Boeing 747-8I?
| Airline | Country | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa | Germany | 19 |
| Korean Air | South Korea | 10 |
| Air China | China | 7 |
Let’s start off by specifying that in this first section I’ll be referring only to the passenger version of the 747-8 (and not the 747-8F). The passenger version, the Boeing 747-8i (where I stands for intercontinental), at the moment is in service with only 3 commercial operators:
The largest user of the aircraft type is also the launch customer of the Boeing 747-8I: Lufthansa. The German carrier has stated that intends to keep its 747-8s around for quite some time. They are in the process of planning to retrofit their 747s with the new premium Allegris cabins. That means that we should see these planes fly into the 2030s.
The other 2 carriers that operate the Boeing 747-8I are less enthusiastic of the aircraft. Korean Air, which is in the process of merging with Asiana, has never hidden its intentions to retire the plane soon, favoring smaller more fuel-efficient twinjets. Korean Air though owns and operates not even half of the Lufthansa’s 19 planes. Interesting fact, Korean Air currently owns the last passenger 747 ever to be built. That would be the aircraft with registration number HL7644 and serial number 60411.
Then there’s Air China with even less planes of the type. Planes that Air China sadly only uses for high demand domestic routes and flights to New York City.
What is surprising is that no US based airlines use the 747-8. The only 2 planes of the type that will be based in the United States are the 2 747s that are in the process of becoming VC-25Bs, in other words the new Air Force One presidential planes.
It must be noted that there are another 8 747-8 active as business jets for private operators.
The Best 747-8 Livery?
Certainly, Lufthansa owns the 747-8I wearing the best livery of them all. Registration number D-ABYT (Delta Alfa-Bravo-Yankee-Tango) was painted in a retro classic livery which is stunning.
The color scheme D-ABYT is fitted with is the classic Lufthansa with the yellow logo on the vertical stabiliser and the black nose cone. These days it’s quite common to see it in Frankfurt airport between rotations.
Which Airlines Use the Boeing 747-8F Freighter?
| Airline | Country | Units |
|---|---|---|
| UPS | USA | 30 |
| Cargolux | Luxembourg | 14 |
| Atlas Air | USA | 14 |
| Cathay Cargo | Hong Kong | 14 |
| Nippon Cargo | Japan | 8 |
| Korean Air | South Korea | 7 |
| AirBridgeCargo | Russia | 7 |
| Volga-Dnepr Airlines | Russia | 6 |
| Silk Way West Airlines | Azerbaijan | 5 |
Although only thirty-two passenger versions of the 747-8I are currently active, there are many more flying around the world in the freighter variant. The cargo version has proven a bigger success than the passenger one. However, it is far from being one of Boeing’s best sellers.
Among these cargo variants of the Boeing 747-8 is the last of the type to ever leave the Everett assembly line. Specifically, it is N863GT delivered to Atlas Air and named Empower. This plane will be always remembered as the last 747 ever to be built.