The Boeing Co. can hand over formally the operation of its fleet of large cargo jets, used to ferry 787 assemblies, to Evergreen International Airlines.
Evergreen has received the OK from the Federal Aviation Administration to handle Boeing’s modified 747-400 freighters, dubbed the Dreamlifter fleet. The McMinnville, Ore.-based company will operate and maintain the cargo planes, which were swelled to hold large pieces of the 787 built in Italy, Japan and South Carolina.
“With certification completion, the full implementation of the Dreamlifter program and addition of the 747-400 Boeing converted freighters, we have a solid platform for the future,” said Brian Bauer, Evergreen’s president, in a press statement.
In June, the FAA granted Boeing flight certification on the Dreamlifter. However, Evergreen additionally had to prove to the federal agency that it was capable of operating the aircraft. The company already has several Boeing 747s in its fleet but needed 747-400 certification.
Puget Sound residents have seen the Dreamlifter flying around for several months. Boeing brought the first 787 Dreamliner parts to Everett on a Dreamlifter jet back in April.
Boeing already has two Dreamlifter jets flying 787 components among Dreamliner partners. The aerospace company will add two more Dreamlifter cargo planes to its fleet. The third Dreamlifter is in the process of being modified and the fourth is awaiting modifications, said Mary Hanson, a Boeing spokeswoman.
Separately, Evergreen announced that it has ordered three 747-400 Boeing converted freighters. The company will use the three aircraft in its commercial operations. The freighters are not related to Boeing’s Dreamlifter fleet.
Reporter Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454 or mdunlop@heraldnet.com.
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