Cargolux completed its first regularly scheduled flight from its main hub in Luxembourg to Manaus, Brazil, making the city in the heart of the Amazon rainforest the 100th destination to be served by the all-cargo carrier’s new 747-8 freighters.
The 747-8F touched down on Jan. 25 at Eduardo Gomes International Airport, carrying a load of spare machine spare parts and telecommunications equipment.
Dirk Reich, president and CEO of Cargolux, said the new service to Manaus can “better boost airfreight exports from Brazil and can bring commodities like automotive parts, perishables and pharmaceutical products to their markets in a more fuel-efficient and sustainable way.”
Cargolux has served Manaus with weekly flights since 2012, but this was the first time the 747-8F was used in commercial service on the Brazilian route. The airline has also used a 747-8F in service between Luxembourg and Viracopos International, in Campinas, Brazil, since June 2013.
Currently, Cargolux operates eleven 747-8Fs and has another three on order from Boeing. It also operates another eleven 747-400 freighters, serves 50 countries and runs a global trucking network that brings cargo to 250 destinations, worldwide.