747-8i

The Boeing 747-8 was the final and largest variant of the 747, built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Officially announced in 2005, it lengthened the fuselage, introduced an entirely new wing and improved efficiency over the 747-400. With a maximum take-off weight of 970,000 lb (440,000 kg), the 747-8 is the heaviest aircraft, commercial or military, ever manufactured in the United States.

The first 747-8 Freighter was delivered to Cargolux in October 2011, and the first 747-8 Intercontinental to Lufthansa in May 2012. Boeing delivered the very last 747 — a 747-8 Freighter for Atlas Air — on 31 January 2023, ending a production run of 1,574 aircraft.

The 747-8 is the longest volume-production, fixed-wing commercial aircraft in the world. Only the single flying Antonov An-225 Mriya, originally built to piggy-back the USSR’s Buran Space Shuttle and now carrying outsize freight loads throughout the world, is longer.

At 250 feet 2 inches (76.25 metres) in length, the Boeing 747-8 family is 18 feet 4 inches (5.6 metres) longer than any other version of the 747 ever built. Boeing achieved the extra fuselage length by installing a 13ft 4in (4.06m) fuselage plug ahead of the wing and a 5ft (1.52m) fuselage plug aft of it.

As designed, the 747-8 Intercontinental will carry 467 passengers in a three-class configuration, and has a range of 8,000 nautical miles. The 747-8 freighter can fly up to 4,390 nautical miles. The Intercontinental has a wing span of 224 feet, 7 inches, and is 250 feet, 2 inches long. Its tail towers to 63 feet, 6 inches high. And its four GEnx-2B67 engines produce 66,500 pounds of thrust. The passenger plane’s top cruising speed is Mach 0.86, while the freighter can fly at Mach 0.845.

While the Intercontinental was designed to be the same height as the 747-400 and fit into existing 747 slots at airports–meaning that no airport should have to do any reconfiguring to welcome the new plane–its 18.3 feet of added length will allow carriers to add 51 seats, and the revenue that comes with those additional passengers. As well, Boeing designed the new plane so that the flight crew’s rest area is located in the upper deck, freeing up space on the main deck and lower hold for passengers and cargo. That means that the Intercontinental can carry 37,000 pounds of cargo–33 percent more than the 747-400, and 8,600 pounds more than the A380. Compared to the A380, the Intercontinental is 10 percent lighter per seat. And all told, Boeing said its new plane has the lowest operating costs per seat of any passenger plane in the world. Due to the costs of fuel, maintenance, and weight-related costs, Boeing says that the plane offers carriers “trip costs” that are 20 percent less than that of the A380, while seat mile costs are 5 percent lower than Airbus’ double-decker behemoth.

For the 747-8, Boeing has proposed some changes to the interior layout of the aircraft. Most noticeable will be the stairway to the upper deck. On present 747-300 and -400 models, the stairway is straight, narrow, and runs from the galley area located at door 2 (the second door from the front of the aircraft) to the back of the upper deck, on the left-hand side. The stairway on the 747-8I will be a curved, sweeping staircase. Originally proposed to be on the right-hand side, it has been moved back to the left-hand side after Lufthansa’s order. The window line will be extended to where the stairway reaches the upper deck, and a further set of windows may be placed overhead.

Further down the aircraft, it has been proposed to place cabin-accessible facilities in the “crown” area (the space above the passenger cabin, currently used for air conditioning ducts and wiring). The wiring and ducts will be moved to the side to create extra space; consequently they will not have windows. This added space can be used for galleys and crew rest areas, freeing up main deck space for additional passenger seating. During the initial 747-8 marketing phase, Boeing also proposed creating a revenue-generating “SkyLoft” passenger facility in the crown space. This facility would include “SkySuites”, small individual compartments with sliding doors or curtains, featuring beds, seating, and entertainment or business equipment. A common lounge area could also be provided. Boeing also proposed smaller, more modest “SkyBunks”. Access to the crown area would be via a separate stairway at the rear of the aircraft. Passengers using the SkySuites, sold at a premium price, would sit in regular economy class seats for take off and landing, and move to the crown area during flight. However, pricing feasibility studies found the SkyLoft concept difficult to justify. In 2007, Boeing dropped the SkyLoft concept in favor of upper deck galley storage options, which were favored by the airlines.

The main cabin uses an interior similar to that of the 787’s. Overhead bins are curved, and the center row is designed to look as though it is attached to the curved ceiling, rather than integrated into the ceiling’s curve like on the 777. The windows will also be of similar size to the type used on the 777 and the 767-400ER, which are 16% larger than on the current 747-400s. The 747-8 will feature a new solid state light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system. It will be possible to create various moods in the cabin, from sunrise to sunset, making travel a more comfortable and relaxing experience. At the same time, LED technology offers the additional advantages of lower maintenance costs and longer intervals between unscheduled repairs.

Lufthansa launched the 747-8 Intercontinental on 6 December 2006, becoming the first airline to order the variant. Though solitary VIP orders have been placed, Lufthansa will receive the first 747-8Is off the production line. Lufthansa is the only airline to order the -8I as of December 2008. However, Boeing announced on 15 July 2008, at the Farnborough Airshow, Arik Air’s intention to purchase the type, though that order is yet to be confirmed.