By Ranjan Bhaduri
Feb 9, (THAINDIAN NEWS) After much anticipation and anxious waiting, the Boeing 747-8- latest offering from the aircraft maker took its maiden flight and passed it with flying colors. The plane flew on Monday and the flight got a bit delayed owing to the weather conditions. It will be made to cater to the freight and mainstream sectors. The commercial production of the plane is slated to begin in the later part of this year. However, owing to the reduced passenger demand and struggling airlines, its success may receive a setback. The Boeing 747-8 is likely to face tough competition from Airbus 380 as far as passenger aviation is concerned. As per the data released by Boeing, the new model has some state of the art technologies and is more efficient than its predecessor the 747-400.

It is more environment friendly as Boeing claims. The General Electric engine incorporated in the new 747-8 model produces less emission compared to other models. Mark Feuerstein, the 747 Chief Pilot expressed his happiness with the new aircraft after the test flight was conducted. According to him, the plane satisfactorily passed each test and did not falter even once. The test pilots took the plane to a height of 1,700 feet and kept the speed within 230 knots. The landing was smooth and there was a slight bouncing but it was not a serious issue, as the pilots said.

The plane will be made to fly higher and top speeds shortly. The plane is more fuel efficient, which the company feels will help the airlines to keep the running costs within control.