Boeing Co.'s 747-8 freighter should make its first flight Monday after performing well on taxi tests and reaching a top speed of approximately 90 knots or 103.5 mph, the company reportedly said.
The Chicago-based company said the plane could make its maiden flight from Paine Field, north of Seattle, as early as 10 a.m. Monday, subject to weather and last-minute mechanical checks.
Boeing conducted taxi tests on the freighter Saturday at Paine Field in Everett, north of Seattle.
"The airplane performed well," said Mo Yahyavi, 747 program vice president and general manager, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Based on early indications, the airplane is ready to fly."
Within a few weeks, two additional 747-8 cargo planes are expected to be added to the test-flight program.
Once the plane receives final certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, the company is expected start deliveries.
At 253 feet, the newest 747 model, to be built initially as a cargo plane, is the longest commercial plane built by Boeing and features a new wing design. It will also have the same new cockpit and engines being used on the Dreamliner.
Like Boeing's other new commercial jet, the 787 Dreamliner, the 747 aircraft is running well behind schedule, with deliveries slated to begin sometime in this year's fourth quarter, more than a year late.
The first delivery was to have been in late 2009 and the first passenger version in late 2010, but the company pushed back the dates due to changes in design, limited engineering resources. An eight-week strike at its factories also contributed to the delay.
Luxembourg-based Cargolux Airlines International SA is slated to be first customer for the plane's cargo version. German airliner Deutsche Lufthansa AG is expected to take delivery of the first passenger 747-8 in late 2011. Boeing has orders for only 76 freighters and 32 passenger models.
The 747-8 program already has been a drain on Boeing's balance sheet. Early last year the company said the program was unprofitable, and in October the company took a $1 billion write-down because of delays in producing the new freighter.
BA declined $0.92 or 1.55% and closed Friday's regular trading session at $58.40. After hours, BA rose $0.35 or 0.60% and traded at 58.75.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.