Boeing has delivered the first 747-8I, with the milestone aircraft now to be outfitted in a VIP configuration before entering service with its undisclosed owner, reported to be the Government of Qatar.
The VIP 747-8I, registered A7-HHE, was handed over on February 28 with minimal interior fitout and will now spend six months having a luxury sleeping loft installed at a Boeing facility in Kansas. The aircraft will then head to Lufthansa Technik in Germany to complete the remainder of the interior, which will be designed to seat up to 100 passengers. Service entry is expected in 2014.
Boeing says it will deliver the first passenger configured 747-8 Intercontinental to launch customer Lufthansa in the “very near future.”
Boeing has so far announced 111 orders for the passenger and cargo versions of the 747-8, with Lufthansa ordering 20 747-8Is. Deliveries of the 747-8F freighter began in October.
