Peter Conway LONDON
While Boeing's decision to cancel development of the 747X may have made sense on the passenger side, it is depriving the air cargo market of what could have been a useful freighter aircraft.
The 747XF would have offered the world's major cargo airlines, who largely operate 747 freighters, a 25% increase in payload, combined with commonality of flight decks and loading equipment, a nose door, and the ability to carry the same 3m (10ft) tall pallets as the 747F. The Airbus A380F, in contrast, will need different pilots, special 8m loading equipment not currently available, and special pallets and unit load devices. It will not have a nose door, and its maximum cargo deck height is 2.4m.
For this reason, Boeing confidently predicted that the 747XF would dominate the superjumbo freighter market. It said it was in talks with several interested customers, and that the 747X might even be launched as a freighter.
Despite the effective cancellation of the 747X programme, Boeing's regional director marketing, Jim Edgar, still insists that the freighter version will be built if a major customer orders it. But history suggests otherwise. Boeing terminated the MD-11F production line in 1997 even though Lufthansa Cargo had just ordered five, with Boeing saying demand was not strong enough.
The decision to cancel the 747X has come as a particular disappointment to contract carriers Atlas, which had been negotiating with both Airbus and Boeing. Chief executive Richard Schuyler admitted that it was looking for a competitive price in exchange for placing a large order for one or other of the superjumbo freighter types. However, while the withdrawal of the 747X removes a useful negotiating tool for Atlas, it could potentially create a new business opportunity. Since big 747F operators are unlikely to find it economical to add one or two A380Fs to their fleets, a lessor could repeat the success Atlas had with the 747-400F by buying a dozen or so of the aircraft to gain efficiencies of scale, and then leasing them on to the world's carriers.
Atlas would not comment on this, but admitted that it was "continuing to evaluate the large freighter market, and the withdrawal of Boeing does actually simplify that review". A decision over whether to buy the A380F was likely in "six to nine months", it said.
Source: Airline Business
