Why are airlines not ordering the 747-8? Are there any possible future orders? If yes, which airlines?

Question

Why are airlines not ordering the 747-8? Are there any possible future orders? If yes, which airlines?

Answer 1

Don't pull the plug on the 747-8 yet. Lufthansa is the launch customer for the passenger version and other airlines will follow. Not every international airport will be able to accommodate the A380(for example, Dallas-Fort Worth,  Philadelphia International   or Phoenix Sky Harbor here in the States) And American-based airline United is sticking with the 747(they are one of two airlines here that fly 747-400's..and I'm not sure that United's main hub, O'Hare is preparing for the A380. I know JFK and LAX are, they are airports that Singapore Airlines has routes to and from,

But I'm not saying the A380 will be a failure either. The airlines and flying public will decide.

Answer 2

This is a very good question. The 747 is going downhill, with new aircrafts like the A380 and the A340 being more appealing to airlines.

Answer 3

Ten different airlines have ordered the 747-8.  Lufthansa was the first to order the passenger version.  Most of the remaining orders are for freighter version but a few have been sold to undisclosed sources and used as luxury VIP transports and to a leasing company.

The ultimate 747 model, the -8 in the model number signifies it's relation to the 787. An all new wing with raked wingtips and a stretched fuselage will make it longer than the A380 and the current record holder the A340-600.  It will have a all new cockpit and futuristic interior design borrowed heavily from the new 787.  Boeing expects more passenger orders in the future but have not mentioned any airlines in particular.  Many airlined are waiting to see how the A380 works out and for the outlook for the airline industry in general to improve.   High oil prices could turn the A380 onto a white elephant that nobody wants and a massive sell off and switch to smaller more econmical planes like the 777 or 767.   The 747 almost suffered this fate shortly after introduction in the mid 70s.

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Airlines may opt for the 747 because of commonality with their current fleet and the high resale value of the type used world wide as a freighter converted from a passenger version.

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http://www.newairplane.com/747/

Answer 4

Cus the A380 is a more attractive option for a Very Large Aircraft and if you want anything below the A380, the 777-300ER is the next best thing. The A380 is the first in its family and still has room for development while the 747-8 is an Aircraft that has been redone over and over for 40years and it has no room for development anymore. So for Airlines looking into the future, the A380 is the best option. Plus the A380 provides more comfort over the 747-8 while still being economical. Like if a 747-8 was configured the way SIA configured their A380, it'd only fit about 200+ seats which wouldn't make economic sense for the Airline.

Future orders, maybe...but Boeing themselves have admitted that they only see a total of 85 orders for the passenger version. The freighter version on the other hand is a success mainly cus it has no competitor for now, If it sells only freighters, I don't think that'd be enough to make a profit.

I think we might eventually see Airlines like China Airlines, Air India ordering it. But with the delays to the 787, we might see the 747-8 pushed back, but thats not given.