IAH Welcomes Cathay Pacific Airways Boeing 747-8 Freighter to Houston

HOUSTON, December 22– The newest addition to the Cathay Pacific Airways fleet – the Boeing 747-8 Freighter - marked a significant milestone as it touched down at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston this week. The airline’s first ever Boeing 747-8F aircraft landing in Texas will be a repeat performance as it is a dedicated aircraft on the cargo route network.

“I am thrilled to welcome Cathay Pacific’s 747-8F to Houston and the timely addition in the airline’s fleet signifies the importance and increasing volume of trade between Houston and Hong Kong,” said Mario C. Diaz, Director of the Houston Airport System. "Houston continues to be a vital international cargo hub in the global network thanks to the strength of the Texas economy as we connect local companies providing goods and services in the energy, medical and manufacturing sectors to emerging and expanding markets globally."

One of the keys to Houston’s success is its strategic geographical location in the Americas with excellent reach to Latin America and major markets in the United States, with 29 percent of all freight from Houston destined for Asia with a trade value of $3.5 billion annually. As the year draws to a close, the Houston Airport System expects it will set a new record for air cargo as Bush Intercontinental Airport is expected to handle more air cargo in 2011 than it has in any year since the airport opened in 1969.

The inaugural freighter flight carried oil and gas machinery and equipment from Houston in addition to commodities from across South America, including cherries from Santiago and flowers from Colombia that will be distributed across Asia.

“With its first-class operating economics, the Dash 8 freighters will help us provide even better value and service to our customers,” said Fred Ruggiero, Cathay Pacific’s vice president cargo Americas. “Four Dash 8 freighters have already joined the fleet and we will continue to take delivery in the coming year, demonstrating our commitment to the freighter market as it becomes the backbone of our cargo operations to and from North America.” he added.

Cathay Pacific is the first Asia Pacific airline to take delivery of the 747-8 Freighter, which features double-digit improvements in fuel burn and lower emissions and is 30 percent quieter than the 747-400 Freighter. Furthermore, the aircraft can hold 16 percent more revenue-generating cargo volume, which allows it to hold seven additional pallets of cargo. The upgrade will ensure that IAH will continue growing as a connection point and will allow Houston firms to thrive as they move goods overseas.

With the addition of the Boeing 747-8F aircraft, Cathay Pacific will operate a fleet of 21 wide-body freighters serving more than 40 destinations. 

For photos of the 747-8F's inaugural flight to IAH, visit our Press Release section of fly2houston.com or Click Here. 

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The Houston Airport System (HAS) served more than 49.5 million passengers in 2010, ranking as the 4th largest multi-airport system in the U.S. Houston's three airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD) contribute more than $27 billion to the regional economy. For more information, visit fly2houston.com and follow us @IAH and @HobbyAirport.

Public Relations & Communications Director Roxanne Butler, 713-859-5214 cell, 281-233-1778 office, roxanne.butler@houstontx.gov