2015, The Wall Street Journal reported that the order backlog was down to 32 and Boeing had decided to reduce production to one aircraft per month in 2016. In January 2016, Boeing confirmed that it was reducing 747-8 production to 0.5 per month beginning in September 2016, incurring a $569 million post-tax charge against its fourth-quarter 2015 profits. The chief reason given was that the recovery of the air cargo market had stalled, resulting in slowed demand for the 747 freighter. Boeing cited the 747-8F as the main driver behind potential future 747-8 orders. To help reduce production costs in the meantime and maintain the 747 production line's viability, the company plans to integrate the 747 and 767 production lines more closely with each other. Boeing expected the cargo market to improve by mid-2019 and were planning to increase the 747's production rate back to 1/month from then on. However, in July 2016, this production rate increase was cancelled, i.e. 747 production remained at 0.5 per month. At the same time, the company announced another after-tax charge of $814 million, reflecting a lower estimation of airframes to be produced and revenue realized. In an SEC filing submitted at the same time, Boeing stated that if it was "unable to obtain sufficient orders and/or market, production and other risks cannot be mitigated, [...] it is reasonably possible that we could decide to end production of the 747." The Boeing 747-8I was intended to fill a niche between the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777-300ER. The future for the 747-8 passenger version appears limited. Airlines bought the original 747 primarily for its range, not its capacity. The advent of long-range twin-engine jets, notably Boeing's own 777, took away the 747's range advantage. Compared to the 747-8I, the upcoming 777-9X "mini-jumbo jet" is projected to have a lower fuel cost per seat mile and greater cargo capacity, though it has a lower passenger capacity and higher list price; consequently, the 777-9X has totaled more orders than the 747-8I due to airlines placing a high value on fuel efficiency. For operators that require high capacity on routes, such as Emirates Airlines, most have preferred the Airbus A380 as it is an all-new design, while the 747-8's lineage is 40 years old, although some have criticized the A380's looks and complimented the 747-8I's appearance. Analysts do not see bright prospects for very large aircraft—those with