EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing (NYSE:BA) and AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group, celebrated today the delivery of the first of five new Boeing 747-8 Freighters to the airline.

“The introduction of the Boeing 747-8F represents a huge commitment to our customers since we are investing in state of the art equipment to further expand our network,” said Tatyana Arslanova, executive president of AirBridgeCargo Airlines. “We have a firm belief that our established and new customers will greatly benefit from the additional features the airplane will provide such as enhanced payload. With the introduction of the Boeing 747-8F, we’ll have the youngest freighter fleet in the industry while maintaining the highest standards of environmental compliance.”

“ABC is a valued customer of Boeing that has built a very successful cargo business with the help of 11 747 Freighters and we’re confident ABC will maintain its impressive rate of growth, supported by the new fleet of Boeing 747-8 Freighters,” said Marty Bentrott, vice president of Sales for Russia, Central Asia and Middle East, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The new 747-8 Freighter is 250 feet, 2 inches (76.3 m) long, which is 18 feet and 4 inches (5.6 m) longer than its predecessor, the 747-400 Freighter. The stretch provides customers with 16 percent more revenue cargo volume, which translates to four additional main-deck pallets and three additional lower-hold pallets. The 747-8 Freighters are powered with GE’s GEnx-2B engines.

The addition of the 747-8 to ABC’s fleet is an important step in its long-term business strategy. In addition to the five 747-8 Freighters it has on order, AirBridge Cargo has options for an additional five more airplanes.

Source and photo: Boeing