Boeing 747-8 Passenger Jet Gets Lift From Freighter Tests

Boeing Co.’s year of flight tests on the 747-8 freighter may help the planemaker meet a goal of delivering the passenger version by year-end, removing the stigma of delays from its newest jumbo jet.

Boeing has targeted the end of March for the first flight of the aircraft, which it calls the Intercontinental, said Todd Zarfos, vice president of engineering for the 747-8. Work on the freighter during the past year is expected to make regulatory certification for the passenger version easier, he said.