New 747-8 jet arrives in Frankfurt on 1st flight
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — The first Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 plane arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, a day after the airline and the manufacturer celebrated the plane's delivery and inaugural flyaway from Paine Field Airport in Everett, Wash.
The plane is an updated version of the iconic 747, with less noise, more space and better fuel efficiency.
The airplane will begin regular commercial service June 1 on a flight from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C.
On board the first flight were Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa; Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Group Fleet Management, Lufthansa; and Elizabeth Lund, Boeing vice president and general manager of the 747 Program, along with some 30 passengers and crew.
The 747-8 Intercontinental was designed to improve the fuel efficiency and emissions of its predecessor, the 747-400, while generating 30 percent less noise. The 747-8 Intercontinental's Dreamliner-inspired interior is also designed to appear more spacious and to provide more room for personal belongings.
