Boeing 747-400F / 747-8F
Boeing · Wide-Body Jet Freighter / Long-Range Intercontinental Air Freight · USA · Modern (1992–2009)
The Boeing 747-400F is an American long-range wide-body freighter — Boeing's principal four-engine cargo aircraft of the 1990s through 2010s and the most-numerous heavy-cargo jet ever built. Boeing developed it from the 747-400 passenger airframe between 1990 and 1993, with service entry in November 1993 on Cargolux. Boeing built 126 747-400Fs between 1993 and 2009, when the 747-8F succeeded it on the production line. Operators include Atlas Air, Cargolux, China Airlines Cargo, Korean Air Cargo, Polar Air Cargo, Nippon Cargo Airlines, and Singapore Airlines Cargo.
Power comes from four General Electric CF6-80C2B5F or Pratt & Whitney PW4062 turbofans. Maximum cruise is Mach 0.85, range 8,240 km at the full 113-tonne payload, service ceiling 13,710 m, and MTOW 396,890 kg. The main deck takes 29 pallets, with another 30 containers in the lower hold. Three changes distinguish the freighter from the passenger 747-400: a 3.4 m × 3.4 m forward main-deck side cargo door, deletion of the nose cargo door (retained only on the older 747-200F and the Combi variants), and a reinforced floor. The 747-400ERF, introduced in 2002, stretched range to 9,180 km at full payload.
From 1993 to 2010 the 747-400F dominated long-haul and ultra-long-haul air freight, moving 100-tonne loads across the Pacific and Atlantic at costs no other airframe could match. Cargolux, Atlas Air, and Korean Air Cargo each assembled fleets of 10 to 20-plus aircraft. As of 2026 roughly 80 examples remain in active service, with retirements accelerating as 747-8Fs, 777Fs, and the planned 777-8F arrive. Production ended in 2009 in favour of the larger 747-8F, but the cheap used-market price and sheer hold volume should keep the 747-400F flying through about 2035.
For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version
The Boeing 747-400F is the cargo version of the famous 747 jumbo jet. Instead of passengers, it hauls packages, mail, and huge freight boxes. The plane has four giant engines, two on each wing.
The 747-400F first flew in 1993 with a cargo airline called Cargolux. Boeing built 126 of them before switching to the newer 747-8 freighter in 2009. Big cargo airlines like Atlas Air, Cargolux, and Korean Air Cargo fly them every day.
The 747-400F can carry up to 113 tonnes of cargo — heavier than 18 grown elephants. The plane is also longer than a school football field. Workers load it through a big side door that opens like a garage. Inside, 29 large pallets fit on the top floor.
The plane cruises at about 570 mph and can fly 5,100 miles in one trip. It needs four engines because it carries so much weight. The famous hump at the front holds the cockpit and a small upper deck. The 747-400F is still flying for many cargo airlines around the world.
Fun Facts
- The 747-400F can haul 113 tonnes of cargo in a single trip.
- Boeing built 126 of these cargo jumbos between 1993 and 2009.
- It has four engines — two under each wing.
- The famous hump at the front holds the cockpit and a small upper deck.
- Workers load cargo through a big side door that opens like a garage.
- Atlas Air, Cargolux, and Korean Air Cargo still fly the 747-400F today.
Kids’ Questions
Why does the 747 have a hump on top?
The hump holds the cockpit on an upper deck. Putting the pilots up high made it easier to add a giant nose-loading door on the earliest 747 freighters. Most newer 747-400F cargo jets load through a side door instead.
Will the 747-400F ever stop flying?
Most passenger 747s have already retired. Cargo 747s will probably keep working for many more years because they carry so much heavy freight. Newer cargo jets like the 777F are slowly taking over many routes.
Variants
- 747-400F (1993)
- Original production freighter. 89 built.
- 747-400ERF (2002)
- Extended-range version; range 9,180 km at full payload. 37 built.
Notable Operators
- Cargolux + Atlas Air (1993-present)
- Largest historical fleets; both still flying the type.
- Korean Air Cargo + others (1993-present)
- Long-haul cargo carriers including China Airlines Cargo, Polar Air, Nippon Cargo, and Singapore Airlines Cargo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn't 747-400F have a nose cargo door?
The 747's iconic nose cargo door, introduced on the 747-200F in 1972, was kept on the 747-200F, 747 Combi, and 747-400 Combi but dropped on the dedicated 747-400F. Boeing's reasoning was threefold. First, side-loading equivalence: modern high-loaders and K-loaders made loading through the forward main-deck side door just as fast as nose-loading for standard pallets and containers, with less airframe modification. Second, weight: the nose-door structural reinforcement adds around 3,000 kg of empty weight, so deleting it raised payload and improved fuel burn. Third, market size: only oversize cargo such as helicopters and large machinery actually needs nose-loading, and Boeing judged that niche too small to justify the standard production-line cost. The 747-400ERF kept the side-only layout. Customers needing nose-loading bought used 747-200Fs or 747-400 Combis; today's 777F and 747-8F are also side-load only.
Sources
See Also
- Boeing 747-400 — Passenger parent variant