Cargolux today took delivery of its 12th Boeing 747-8 freighter out of an order of 14. The Cargolux fleet now numbers 23 aircraft, 12 747-8F and 11 747-400F. The new aircraft, LX-VCL, arrived in Luxembourg with a full load of freight from Seattle to a welcoming ceremony with invited guests, Cargolux staff and media representatives.

Cargolux named its latest freighter „Joe Sutter – Father of the 747? in honor of the man who designed the 747 in the 1960s. The naming came as a surprise to Mr. Sutter, who only found out during the unveiling of the aircraft during the departure ceremony at Boeing?s Paine Field yesterday.

Joe Sutter, born in 1921, joined the Boeing Company in 1940, working at Boeing Plant 2 while studying aeronautical engineering at the University of Washington. He later became manager of the design team for the Boeing 747 under Malcolm T. Stamper, the head of the 747 project and is widely regarded as the brain behind the design of the iconic „Jumbo Jet?.

Joe Sutter is a recipient of The International Air Cargo Association's 2002 Hall of Fame Award and, after retiring from Boeing, is now an engineering sales consultant. Mr. Sutter celebrated his 90th birthday in 2011 and maintains an active interest in the aeronautics industry.

LX-VCL is the 30th 747 freighter that Cargolux bought new from Boeing since it acquired its first factory-fresh 747-200F in 1979. The airline pioneered the 747-400F in 1993 and the 747-8F in 2011. Apart from its new 747 freighters, Cargolux has utilized a range of pre-owned or leased-in 747 aircraft, including passenger, combi and full freighter variants. Until today, the airline has operated a total of 51 Boeing 747 aircraft.

“We have built our business around the iconic 747 and therefore we wanted to celebrate our 30th direct delivery from Boeing by honoring the man behind this magnificent machine - Joe Sutter,” said Dirk Reich, President and CEO of Cargolux Airlines.

The cargo on LX-VCL?s delivery flight included 92 pieces of RFP piping for a chlorine plant in Saudi Arabia, manufactured by the Fibrex Corporation. It utilized the entire main deck of the aircraft. Shipping arrangements were handled by Panalpina.