Cathay Pacific

Boeing has delivered the first 747-8 Freighter powered with enhanced GEnx-2B engines to Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways, as part of the aircraft’s performance improvement package (PIP).

The aircraft is the airline’s 11th 747-8 Freighter, and first jet in 747 family to be equipped with the PIP engines that improve the aircraft’s efficiency by 1.8%.

Boeing 747-8 chief project engineer and vice-president Bruce Dickinson said: "With this improvement, 747-8 customers will use roughly 30 less semi-sized trucks of fuel per airplane per year."

The performance-improved engine is the first of three PIP improvements to enter service.

The other two improvements including flight management computer (FMC) software upgrades and reactivation of the horizontal tank fuel system on the 747-8 Intercontinental are expected to come into service by the end of 2013 and in early 2014 respectively.

"These upgrades are part of our commitment to continually improve the 747-8 for our customers."

The 747 programme vice-president and general manager Eric Lindblad said: "These upgrades are part of our commitment to continually improve the 747-8 for our customers."

All three upgrades under PIP can be retrofitted on the 747-8 aircraft.

The tail fuel reactivation can be applied only to the 747-8 Intercontinental, while the FMC upgrades can also be made to 747-400 jets.

In May, Boeing completed a test flight of a 747-8 Intercontinental with PIP, including improved General Electric GEnx-2B engines.

Image: Cathay Pacific Airways’ 747-8 Freighter is the first 747 to deliver with the PIP engines. Photo: courtesy of the Boeing Company.

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