UPS adds 747-400 freighter to its fleet

UPS adds 747-400 freighter to its fleet    UPS Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 747-400 freighter this week and said it will deploy the plane on long-range trunk routes between the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

UPS ramp employees conduct training on the     company’s newest fleet type, the 747-400. UPS     publicly unveiled the long-range aircraft at a     ceremony on July 19. The company will use the     jumbo freighters in support of their growing     international business, operating trunk routes     between the United States, Asia, Europe and     the Middle East.

   The eighth-largest airline in the world will begin by serving Hong Kong; Incheon, South Korea; Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai, China, where express delivery company UPS is building its China air hub. Eventually, UPS will use the plane on its “around the world” flights with stops in Cologne, Germany; Dubai; and Mumbai, India.
   UPS will receive three more new 747-400s from Boeing this year and five more in 2008. In addition, the company plans to acquire five more of the aircraft from other carriers by 2010, bringing the total fleet size to 13.
   The 747-400 has a payload of 273,300 pounds with a range of 4,400 nautical miles. It has 30 load positions on its main deck and can carry 32 smaller containers on its lower deck.
   UPS has seven 747-100s and four 747-200s in its fleet, but the 400 is the first plane it has operated with a hinged nose that allows loading of extra large shipments. The 747-400 also has a bigger payload than the 100 and 200 series. The fleet addition in part reflects UPS move into heavyfreight air transport, in addition to small packages, following the acquisition in late 2004 of Menlo Worldwide Forwarding.