Europe’s largest cargo airline, Luxembourg-based Cargolux, announced Thursday at the Farnborough Airshow that it had chosen the Boeing 777-8F freighter as the “preferred solution” to replace its fleet of 747-400F. The company, however, has not yet placed orders for the aircraft or signed letters of intent to purchase.
“With the 777-8 Freighter being the preferred solution to replace our 747-400s, Cargolux is looking forward to continuing its ongoing relationship with Boeing,” said Richard Forson, president and CEO of Cargolux.
The confirmation of the new Boeing freighter by Cargolux puts an end to rumors that the company could acquire the rival Airbus A350F, a recently launched cargo variant.
In October last year, executives from the cargo company participated in demonstration flights on an A350 prototype at the manufacturer’s headquarters in Toulouse, France.
Boeing launched the 777-8F in January and has already booked more than 50 orders for the aircraft, which will have a payload capacity and flight range nearly identical to the 747-400F, which can carry 113 tons of cargo and has a range of 8,230 km.
“With the selection of our newest freighter as their preferred solution, Cargolux continues its long and enduring history with Boeing, integrating the 777-8F seamlessly into the airline’s all-747 cargo operations,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes .
Despite the promising start to sales, the new freighter based on the 777-8 platform will still take some time to reach the market. According to Boeing, the first deliveries of the aircraft are expected to start in mid-2027.
