Kuehne+Nagel announced that it entered in a longterm dedicated charter agreement with Atlas Air, Inc. to operate two Boeing 747-8F.

In a statement, the freight forwarder said these two aircraft are the very last two Boeing 747s ever to be produced.

"In response to capacity market developments, Kuehne+Nagel will charter the entire and exclusive capacity of the two new B747-8F aircraft to operate the flights globally from the third and fourth quarters of 2022," Kuehne + Nagel said, adding that the aircraft will support Kuehne+Nagel customers on volatile trade lanes, such as the transpacific routes.

Kuehne + Nagel noted that the 747-8F provides 20% higher payload and 16% lower fuel consumption than the very capable 747- 400F.

"As a market leader in air freight, Kuehne+Nagel further expands its dedicated charter network to support customers with solutions for long-term planning and high quality service," said Yngve Ruud, member of the management board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics.

"We are proud to partner with Atlas Air and include these two new Boeing 747-8F in our already extensive global capacity offering."

Operating the world's largest fleet of 747, Atlas Air ordered the last 747 production aircraft to capitalise on strong demand and deliver value for its customers, while also bolstering its commitment to environmental stewardship through the reduction of noise, aircraft emissions and resource consumption.

"We are delighted to expand our partnership with Kuehne+Nagel by providing dedicated capacity for their growing global airfreight network" said John W. Dietrich,  Atlas Air Worldwide president and chief executive officer. 

"The Boeing 747-8F serves an incredibly important role in global airfreight, with advanced technology that allows for lower fuel consumption, higher capacity and unique nose-loading capability. We look forward to taking delivery of these two 747s and operating them for Kuehne+Nagel to support their network for years to come."