Boeing, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined, has announced that it is currently in talks with 15 companies regarding its new 747 wide-body aircraft.
The aircraft manufacturer has announced that plans are underway to sell commercial and freight versions of the 747-8, but the interested airlines have not yet been named.
Quiet, economical and more environmentally friendly than its predecessors, the 747-8 will seemingly be pitted against the Airbus A380, as commercial airlines choose the most appropriate aircraft for their long-haul routes. The A380 is considerably bigger, however, with 555 seats compared to 467.
According to the Associated Press, Boeing has already received 78 orders for the plane, 24 of which are for the passenger version. Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, is said to have been responsible for 20 passenger orders and the remaining four have gone to VIPs.
British Airways is thought to have a marked interest in the 747-8, but Marlin Dailey, Boeing’s vice president of sales for Europe and central Asia, has remained coy as to whether the British flag carrier is ready to make an order. “We continue to work very closely with BA – we are going to respond on every point,” he told the Associated Press.
The passenger versions of the 747-8 will reportedly be delivered in 2010, with the freight versions unveiled a year earlier.
