Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Atlas Air) announced it is adding three Boeing 747-8 freighters to its fleet to meet the strong global demand for dedicated large widebody airfreight capacity, particularly for cross-border e-commerce shipping.

The three additional 747-8Fs, secured through long-term finance lease agreements with BOC Aviation, are expected to enter service late in the third quarter of 2024.

"Atlas is the world's largest operator of 747 freighters, and we are thrilled to expand our widebody fleet with these three 747-8Fs, following the four 747-400Fs we acquired and placed with customers under long-term agreements earlier this year," said Michael Steen, Atlas Air Worldwide chief executive officer.

"Our growth in this aircraft type underscores Atlas' commitment to the 747-freighter platform and the value it provides our customers, including significant payload capacity and unique nose-loading capability," he added.

Steen noted that demand remains strong for dedicated large widebody freighters, and with Atlas Air's robust pipeline, the cargo carrier will place these planes with customers under attractive long-term agreements.

"Through our ongoing investments in innovation and our fleet, we continue to create additional operational flexibility, providing world-class service and acting as a trusted partner to our customers," he added.

Steven Townend, chief executive officer and Managing Director of BOC Aviation, noted that Atlas manages the world's largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighter aircraft and is ideally placed to partner with us in operating these latest-generation aircraft.

"As global airfreight volumes hit record highs, this transaction highlights our ability to provide capacity solutions to a wide variety of airline customers," he said.

The 747-8 freighter is tagged among the most capable, technologically advanced, and environmentally friendly widebody freighter available.

The 747-8F provides the largest load capacity in the market, with a 20% increase in payload capacity over the 747-400F and 25% more capacity than the 777-200LRF.

The 747-8 has a 16% reduction in fuel consumption compared to the 747-400F.

Additionally, the announcement said the 747-8 freighter is the only factory-built freighter with nose-loading capability, meeting the long-term demands of the airfreight sector.

Atlas operates 65 Boeing 747 freighter aircraft, with a fleet that includes 17 747-8Fs, 39 747-400Fs, five-passenger 747-400s, and four Large Cargo Freighters (LCFs).