Qantas' 747-400 fleet's certificated maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) has now been increased to 397,250kg (875,000/b) up from 394, 980kg (8 70, 000/b) allowing greater payloads on routes, such as Sydney/Los Angeles, where range is critical. The certification applies exclusively to Qantas at the moment, and came about after a Qantas initiative led to Boeing reviewing its calculations. The higher MTOW will allow the equivalent of an extra 15 passengers to be carried or the equivalent weight in cargo without sacrificing the fuel load. In the past long range flights, particularly if they had to fly against strong headwinds, had to accept a reduced payload penalty to reach a given range capability. Other airlines are believed to have expressed interest in gaining the higher weight certification, among them British Airways and United. (Paul Merritt)