A Boeing spokesman said that the Boeing 747 8 first flight was scheduled for 10 a.m. but has been delayed due to heavy cloud cover. The 747 8 Boeing is the 15th model of venerable 747 jumbo jet.  747-8 is a significant upgrade to the 747-400, including new and more efficient engines, and a fuselage stretch to 251 feet. The huge weight capacity increase is due to the installation of General Electric GEnx 2B engines.

Because of several problems, including difficulties meshing the older 747 design technology with new digital design techniques, Boeing 747-8 has been delayed by about two years. The 747-8 passenger version will carry up to 467 people in three classes, with a range of just under 7,000 miles. The 747-8 flight test aircraft is expected to fly to Moses Lake, Washington soon where it will continue the initial flight worthiness testing.