Luxembourg, 7 November 2012. Cargolux today announced that it has operated the first airfreight service with the Boeing 747-8F to Ghana on 6 November 2012. The new aircraft will be used on the weekly Cargolux service between Abidjan, Accra and Luxembourg, where Cargolux carries a variety of freight, including heavy machinery for the mining and oil industries as well as perishable goods including flowers, fruits and other foods.

Marwan Traboulsi, Chairman of Cargolux’s partner Air Ghana, said: “The arrival of the exciting new Cargolux Boeing 747-8 freighter testifies to the commitment of both Cargolux and Air Ghana to offer regular and reliable high-volume air cargo movements both to and from Ghana, serving the important and developing agricultural, mining and oil and gas sectors of Ghana’s export economy.”

“Operating alongside its established 747-400 services the new 747-8 offers considerable additional volume and increased capacity to and from the world markets served through the Cargolux International European and Global network", Traboulski added.

Cargolux Airlines was the launch customer and first operator worldwide of Boeing’s new flagship freighter. Compared to its predecessor, the 747-400F, the 747-8F is 5.6 meters longer and offers an increased payload with 16% more cargo volume. The newly developed General Electric GEnx engines are among the cleanest, quietest and most fuel-efficient engines in the world. Together with a new wing and an advanced technology, they enable Cargolux to operate with reliability and unrivalled economics, at the same time complying with all current and future environmental regulations. Cargolux’s 747-8F not only boasts a double-digit reduction in fuel consumption, it also has a significantly reduced noise footprint during take-off and landing. It performs substantially better than all 2008 ICAO/CAEP emissions standards. These environmental enhancements allow Cargolux to set new standards in sustainable airfreight transport between Ghana and Europe.