MSC Air Cargo has ordered five Boeing 777-8 Freighters, marking the all-Boeing cargo operator's first purchase of the aircraft type, Boeing announced Tuesday at the Farnborough International Air Show.

The deal, previously unidentified, adds the newest-generation widebody freighter to an operator that currently flies a fleet of Boeing 777-200 freighters, according to a statement from Boeing.

The 777-8 Freighter, a member of the 777X family, incorporates advanced technologies alongside features carried over from the current-generation 777 Freighter.

Boeing describes it as offering the highest payload and the lowest fuel use, emissions, and operating cost per tonne of any large freighter currently in production.

Jannie Davel, chief executive of MSC Air Cargo, said the order reflected the company's long-term growth plans. "With this order, we are investing in the long-term future of MSC Air Cargo and in the customers we serve," he said.

Brad McMullen, Boeing's senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, said the order would strengthen MSC Air Cargo's global network.

"MSC Air Cargo is investing in its future with this order for large widebody freighter aircraft that will further enhance the capability and reach of its global air network," McMullen said, adding that the 777-8 Freighter would be "the most efficient aircraft in its class" and would connect the carrier's hubs to key international markets.

Boeing said it has now booked more than 80 orders for the 777-8 freighter and that MSC Air Cargo is the third Europe-based air cargo operator to select the aircraft.

Widebody freighters currently carry an estimated 75 percent of global air cargo capacity, a share the company expects to remain significant as e-commerce-driven demand grows.

MSC Air Cargo is a subsidiary of MSC Group, the global shipping and logistics conglomerate. It operates services across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

Source: PR