Cargolux rejects -8 delivery

TODAY was supposed to be the day that Cargolux took receipt of its first 747-8F, but due to “unresolved issues” the carrier has rejected it and the one due two days later.

Cargolux cited “contractual issues” on the freighters, which Boeing was supposed to deliver two years ago.

The freighter won certification last month from the US Federal Aviation Administration to enter commercial service, following the setback, which cost US$2.04 billion.

“In the event that the issues cannot be resolved in a timely manner, Cargolux will source alternative capacity to fully meet customer demand and expectations ahead of the traditional high season,” the company said.

“Clearly, there’s leadership issues all across the board,” Ken Herbert, an analyst with Wedbush Securities in San Francisco (US), said. “It’s been a very difficult couple of years. There’s so much capital on the sidelines waiting to get into the stock and they just need to deliver these airplanes, but it’s always ‘next month, next month’.”