Boing 777-8F and Airbus A350F.
Boeing/Airbus
Plane manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have announced their newest freighters, the 777-8F and the A350F.
Boeing’s 777-8F is designed with a larger payload and better fuel efficiency compared to the A350F.
Airbus’ cargo plane is expected to have a longer range than the 777-8F and the potential for single-pilot operations.
Boeing just added a new cargo plane to its growing fleet of freighters — the 777-8F.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
Boeing
The plane is part of the 777X family that includes two passenger variants, the 777-8 and the 777-9.Boeing 777-8 and 777-9 passenger planes.
Boeing
Source: Insider
The flagship jet, which is the first to feature folding wingtips, is an upgraded version of the original 777 that took its maiden flight in 1994.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
Boeing
Source: Insider
The freighter will replace the industry’s aging Boeing 747-400 aircraft as cargo demand continues to rise during the pandemic and operators seek a smaller, more efficient plane.Atlas Air 747-400F.
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
Source: Insider
Boeing’s 777-8F is also an environmentally friendly alternative to the planemaker’s original 777 freighter, boasting a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency, emissions, and operating costs.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
PRNewsfoto/Boeing
Source: Insider
Once finished, the freighter will be the largest and longest-range twin-engine cargo plane on the market. It is expected to enter service in 2027 with Doha-based Qatar Airways as its launch customer.Qatar Airways 777-8F rendering.
Qatar Airways
Source: Insider
The airline has ordered 34 of the cargo jets, with the option to add an additional 16. The purchase is worth over $20 billion.Qatar Airways 777-8F rendering.
Qatar Airways
Source: Insider
“Boeing has a long history of building market-leading freighter aircraft and Qatar Airways is honored to have the opportunity to be the launch customer for the 777-8 Freighter,” Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker said.Qatar Airways 777-8F rendering.
PRNewsfoto/Boeing
Source: Insider
The 777-8F will directly compete with Airbus’ A350F, which was announced in November at the Dubai Air Show. The plane, which is derived from the A350-1000 passenger jet, is expected to enter service in 2025, two years before Boeing’s new freighter.Airbus A350F computer rendering.
FIXION/Airbus
Source: Insider
Currently, four airlines have ordered Airbus’ A350F, including seven from US aircraft leasing company Air Lease Corporation…A rendering of an ALC Airbus A350 Freighter aircraft.
Airbus
Source: Simple Flying
…four from France-based container shipping company CMA CGM Group…CMA CGM Group A350F rendering.
FIXION/dreamstimes/Airbus
Source: Simple Flying
…seven from Singapore Airlines…Singapore Airlines A350F rendering.
FIXION/Airbus
Source: Simple Flying
…and four from Air France.Air France A350F rendering.
FIXION/Airbus
Source: Simple Flying
According to Airbus, the cargo plane has a payload capacity of 109 tonnes, compared to the 777-8F’s expected capacity of 118 tonnes.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
Boeing
However, the A350F will have a higher maximum payload than Boeing’s original 777F, which can carry about 103 tonnes.Lufthansa 777F loading space.
Lufthansa
Source: Lufthansa
Meanwhile, like the 777-8F, Airbus’ freighter will be more fuel-efficient than the 777F or 747F, boasting a 20% decrease in fuel burn and emissions.Airbus A350F specs.
Airbus
Source: Airbus
However, it will still come up short to the 777-8F’s 25% improvement in fuel efficiency and emissions.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
PRNewsfoto/Boeing
Source: Insider
According to Frederic Horst, managing director consulting at airfreight analysis firm Cargo Facts, the comparison in fuel efficiency between the two jets is complex.Boing 777-8F and Airbus A350F.
Boeing/Airbus
Source: The Seattle Times
Horst told the Seattle Times that efficiency “will depend how that [weight, engine performance, and aerodynamic engineering] translates into fuel burn differences between the two.”Airbus A350F computer rendering.
FIXION/Airbus
Source: The Seattle Times
Despite the 777-8F likely outperforming the A350F in terms of efficiency and payload, Airbus’ new cargo plane has a longer range.A350F specs.
Airbus
Source: Airbus
According to Airbus, the A350F can travel approximately 5,400 miles at maximum capacity, while the 777-8F can only fly about 5,075 miles.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
Boeing
However, according to Boeing, its freighter can fly further than the A350F if it carries the maximum amount of cargo that can be loaded onto the Airbus jet, which is about 10 tonnes less than the 777-8F.Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter.
Boeing
Source: The Seattle Times
In addition to varied performance, the two planes will use different engines. Boeing’s 777-8F will use the specially engineered General Electric GE9X engines, which are the largest aircraft engines in the world.The GE Aviation GE9X engine that powers the Boeing 777X.
TERRAY SYLVESTER/Reuters
Meanwhile, Airbus’ freighter will use Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, used exclusively on the A350 family.Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine.
Rolls-Royce
Source: Insider, Rolls-Royce
One of the most significant differences between the two freighter planes is the A350F’s potential for single-pilot operations, meaning only one pilot would be in the cockpit at a time.The cockpit of an Airbus A350 XWB aircraft.
Thomas Pallini/Insider
According to Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, the plane’s advanced automation, including the ability to auto-descend without pilot input, makes it a good “candidate” for single-pilot operations.Airbus A350F computer rendering.
FIXION/Airbus
Source: Insider
It is likely that both pilots would be in the cockpit for takeoff and landing, though only one would man the controls during cruise while the other would rest.Touring SAS Scandinavian Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 XWB.
Thomas Pallini/Insider
Source: Insider
Boeing has not mentioned single-pilot operations for the new freighter since its Monday announcement.Boeing 787 Dreamliner pilots.
Stanislaw Tokarski/Shutterstock
Source: Insider
Despite the differences, both freighters will be essential in meeting the industry’s growing cargo demand that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and ocean shipping delays.Workers load cargo onto a Boeing 777F.
Associated Press/Richard Vogel
Source: Insider
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Transportation, Travel, News, Features, Planes, Business Visual Features, Boeing, Airbus, boeing 777-8F, airbus A350F, a350F, 777-8F, 777-8 freighter, a350 freighter, a350-1000, A350, Qatar, Qatar Airways, aircraft orders, Orders, plane, Aircraft, Jets, Engines, Rolls Royce, General Electric, Trent XWB, GE9X
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