Starting next September, Boeing said it plans to scale back its production of the 747-8 from 1.5 aircraft per month to 1.3.
The decrease equates to two fewer planes rolling out of Boeing’s Everett, Wash., plant per year. There are no new orders for the jumbo jet this year, in either a passenger or freighter configuration.
The cut is being made “because the near-term recovery in the cargo market has not been as robust as expected,” said Doug Alder, a spokesman for Boeing.The production slowdown, the third cutback announced in less than two years, is not expected to have a material financial impact.
The company indicated it remains committed to the third-generation aircraft. “We continue to believe in the long-term strength of the freighter market, and the 747-8 is uniquely positioned to capture this demand,” Alder said.
The 747-8, a stretched and updated version of the two-deck, four-engine plane Boeing debuted in 1970, has attracted only 119 total orders since its 2005 launch, with 68 of those orders for cargo versions and the remainder for passenger jets, according to Boeing’s website. It has delivered 80 of the planes and has 39 unfilled orders.