Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental Arrives at Paris Air Show

LE BOURGET, France, June 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The newest member of the Boeing (NYSE: BA) family of commercial jetliners made its international air show debut when the first 747-8 Intercontinental touched down at Paris Le Bourget Airport.

Senior Boeing leaders, U.S. government officials, show organizers and media were on hand to welcome the airplane and its crew when they arrived at Le Bourget after an approximately 10-hour flight from Seattle. The airplane took off at 2:38 p.m. Seattle time and landed at 9:30 a.m. Paris time.

The 747-8 Intercontinental flew at Mach 0.85 and traveled approximately 4,400 nautical miles (8,149 km).

Capt. Mark Feuerstein, Boeing chief pilot for the 747 program, was at the controls of the airplane when it landed. He was joined by co-pilots Capt. Steve Taylor, president of Boeing Business Jets; Capt. Rene Gonzalez, BBJ chief pilot; and Capt. Kirk Vining of Boeing Flight Test and Evaluation.

The 747-8 Intercontinental is the newest member of the iconic 747 family, bringing 21st Century technology to the world’s favorite jetliner, and will be cleaner and more efficient than any airplane in its class.

The airplane, one of five Boeing jetliners that will be on display at Paris, will be at the show until Tuesday, June 21, when it will return to flight test activity.