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Comment by dotBen | Hacker News Reader

By launching the plane in red rather than blue, Boing clearly sees their future growth market (for this plane at least) as being the Asian countries --- where red is the sign of luck and prosperity.

Also, this interested me:

The two airlines with orders for the 747-8, Lufthansa and Korean Air, were in Seattle for the unveiling along with private customers for the of the business jet version

A private business jet version of the 747-8 -- the world's longest passenger jet? I wonder what that looks like inside and who buys them?

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Boing clearly sees their future growth market (for this plane at least) as being the Asian countries

I just talked to the CEO/President of Boeing the other night and you're absolutely right, that's exactly what their focus is. Not necessarily focused on Asia alone, but most of their sales are international now, particularly to the emerging markets -- and he had no qualms in saying the future of Boeing was outside the United States.

A private business jet version of the 747-8 -- the world's longest passenger jet? I wonder what that looks like inside and who buys them?

Saudi Princes and other royalty from the Middle East. Often times when they land at Boeing field in Seattle they show off and let people come on-board for tours.

> Saudi Princes and other royalty from the Middle East.

Getting their orders in before their governments fall

We hope

When you click to the second page, it includes "...a representative of Kuwait Airways at the event did confirm...have a 747-8 Intercontinental on order for 'head of state transportation.'"

They'd be crazy not to focus on Asia. (And the middle east) Europe is locked up by Airbus, and the Americas are moving in the other direction toward small regional jets.

When I visited Boeing in Seattle a few years back they were working on a 747-400 without livery. They said it's for a private customer from the middle east. Apparently this is not uncommon.

Oligarchs in Russia and the Middle East, perhaps.

Air Force One is also based on a 747.

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