The interior of the airplane will incorporate features from the 787 Dreamliner, including a new curved, upswept architecture to give passengers a greater sense of space and comfort. More rooms will be added for personal belongings and the architecture will be accentuated by lighting technology that provides smooth transitions for a more restful flight.
The engineering focus is on work that is unique to the 747-8 Intercontinental, comprising mostly fuselage and interior design. The 747-8 fuselage will have an extended upper deck, while much of the design is the same as the 747-8 Freighter.
The 18.3 feet aircraft will have 467 seats in a three-class configuration and a range of approximately 8,000 nautical miles (14,815 kilometers). Designed to deliver nearly equivalent trip costs to those of the 747-400 and 13% lower seat-mile costs, the 747-8 will be 16% more fuel-efficient and create a 30% smaller noise footprint than its predecessor. It will also have 26% greater cargo volume compared to its predecessor.
Mo Yahyavi, vice president and general manager for the 747 Program, was reported stating that the engineering is proceeding as planned and they are a step closer to bringing the 747-8 to market by late 2011.
The 747-8, which includes the 747-8 Intercontinental and the 747-8 Freighter, was launched in November 2005 by Cargolux Airlines and Nippon Cargo Airlines.
747-8 Intercontinental was first ordered by Lufthansa Airlines in December 2006.
