Cargolux confident planes will come in September

(JB) Cargolux's eagerly-awaited delivery of two super jets should arrive on-target next month, despite fears that the indebted US economy could create further delays.

According to the Luxembourg air freight firm, the first two Boeing 747-8F planes are still expected to arrive in September as planned, though no specific date has yet been fixed.

Cargolux spokeswoman Martine Scheuren told wort.lu/en: “Boeing executive vice president Jim Albaugh said himself at an investor meeting on August 11 that deliveries would not be affected by the US economy. I don't think that there is a shadow of a doubt that Cargolux's delivery will be delayed further.”

The freight firm, which is the first to take delivery of the new aircraft, has already experienced considerable delays. An initial schedule proposed the first planes to be rolled out at the end of 2009. Delays were reportedly caused by a series of issues, which disrupted the completion of certification testing. None of the issues were apparently related to the aircraft's structure.

Fears arose on the blogosphere about delivery when the US debt was given a AA rating on its debts by credit rating firm Moody's, raising doubts that a US bank could give the required guarantees for clients such as Cargolux.

Following the Boeing 747-8F deliveries in September, Cargolux expects to receive a third aircraft before the end of the year and three more in 2012. The delivery of seven further aircraft will be staggered during the following years.

The largest order for the plane (15) has been placed by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, a leasing company likely to place the frames with the cargo division of Emirates.