Boeing Unveils First 747-8I Intercontinental

Boeing has rolled-out the prototype B747-8I, the largest capacity commercial passenger aircraft it has ever produced. The jet, painted in a special livery, was revealed on February 13 and will now embark on its final preparation ahead of its first flight, scheduled for the spring. Boeing hopes to complete the certification programme before the end of the year and the first production aircraft will be delivered to Lufthansa in the first quarter of 2012.

The German national carrier will configure its 747-8Is with eight First Class, 80 Business Class and 386 Economy seats and use them to replace its older 747 models, a mix of passenger and Combi versions. The additional range and capacity of the variant in comparison to its predecessors is likely to drive the initial route selection for the type although Lufthansa has not yet finalised its proposed network.

The aircraft is painted in a new 'Sunrise' livery of red-orange, a significant departure from Boeing's standard blue. The new color palette "honours many key Boeing customers whose cultures recognise these colors as symbols of prosperity and good luck," said the manufacturer.