Logistics firm UPS took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400.
The 747-400 will be the first freighter in the UPS fleet and its nose-loading capability is ideal for air freight, allowing for extra large or extra long shipments.
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The freighter, powered by General Electric CF6-80C2B5F engines, will fly on long-range international routes, primarily into the Asia-Pacific region including Shanghai, where the company is building its China air hub.
UPS is to take delivery of three new 747-400s in 2007 and five more in 2008 and the company will acquire five more of the aircraft from other carriers by 2010, bringing the total fleet size to 13.
The 747-400 has a payload of 273,300 pounds with a range of 4,400 nautical miles. It has 30 load positions on its main deck and can carry 32 smaller containers on its lower deck.
The 747's high tech features include:
- Boeing's Airplane Health Management system, which allows the aircraft to diagnose its own problems while in-flight and transmit notifications to aircraft maintenance operations on the ground.
- Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), a situational awareness technology that improves flight safety and efficiency by allowing pilots to “see” other aircraft around them.
- The Electronic Flight Bag, a computer that replaces paper charts and manuals used by pilots in the cockpit.
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Source: FlightGlobal.com
