The first of two Boeing 747-8 freighters has been inaugurated into Kuehne+Nagel’s air transport fleet. The global logistics company has chartered two of these aircraft from Atlas Air to expand its air freight network.
The vessel, named “Inspire” was handed over to Kuehne+Nagel by Atlas Air in a ceremony at the Boeing Delivery Centre in Everett, Washington. The second aircraft will be named “Empower” and is expected to join Kuehne+Nagel’s fleet at a later date.
Kuehne+Nagel hopes that the addition of these vehicles ‘will support Kuehne+Nagel customers with highly reliable service, reduced transit times, and minimised risks’.
The two Boeing 787-8F’s are the last remaining planes of this type in use.
Yngve Ruud, a member of the management board of Kuehne+Nagel responsible for Air Logistics, said: “It is a very special moment for us to see Kuehne+Nagel 747-8F ‘Inspire’ taking off. Together with the very last 747-8F that we named ‘Empower’, the aircraft will support our customers with reliable and flexible solutions globally, continuing the legacy of the most incredible aviation programs in history.”
Kuehne+Nagel has claimed that this particular model of Boeing aircraft benefits from ‘advanced technology that allows for lower fuel consumption, higher capacity and unique nose-loading capability’.
