The B747-8 is Boeing's largest commercial airplane in service, the fourth generation of the famous B747, with the first deliveries to airline customers starting last month. The aircraft is engineered to be over 10 percent more fuel efficient, while carrying over 10 percent more capacity, than the B747-400.

 

"On behalf of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the City of Chicago and the Chicago Department of Aviation congratulate IAG and British Airways on this successful flight of the highly anticipated B747-8 and its arrival in the U.S. at O'Hare," said CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino. "O'Hare is the global gateway to our city and is a leader for air cargo. As new runways and taxiways continue to be built under the O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP), O'Hare has the capacity and infrastructure needed to support the expanding global cargo industry."

 

"As the first 747-8 freighter was welcomed to Chicago, the investment by IAG Cargo, through British Airways World Cargo, in this new aircraft clearly signals our freighter commitment to United States air cargo industry," said Joseph LeBeau, Vice President, Commercial, North America of IAG Cargo. "This will provide our customers with additional capacity on our existing freighter routes and adds both Nairobi and Johannesburg as destinations."

 

This inaugural event follows O'Hare's receipt in September 2011 of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for the B747-8 to operate at the airport.

 

Specifically, the FAA granted O'Hare a Modification of Standards (MOS) that acknowledged the airport had successfully demonstrated that it has adequate infrastructure to handle this aircraft, an important development for the future of Chicago's air cargo operations - and eventually for the passenger version of the B747-8.

 

Other cargo airline carriers with B747-8F orders include Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Cargolux, Korean Air, and Nippon Cargo, all of which currently serve O'Hare.