A chapter, the chapter of the jumbo jets, will soon come to an end after five decades or 54 years. Yesterday, the final Boeing 747 rolled off the assembly line in Everett, recalling the first roll-out in 1967. During those years, 1,574 Boeing 747 jumbos were built, and they have changed air travel ever since.
The final Boeing 747, a 747-8F, will be delivered to Atlas Air in early 2023. With MSN 67150, the aircraft will be re-registered as N863GT, putting a close to the production of the B747. The very first 747, a 747-100, was delivered to Pan Am in 1970.
The 747-8 is the longest commercial aircraft in service, measuring 250 feet 2 inches (76.2 meters). The 747-8 travels the length of three FIFA soccer fields or NFL football fields per second at typical cruising speeds. However, this will soon be overtaken by the Boeing 777-9X once it enters commercial service.
“For more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees have designed and built this magnificent airplane that has truly changed the world. We are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come,” said Kim Smith, Boeing Vice President and general manager, 747 and 767 Programs.
The Boeing 747 will still remain longer for more than a decade
The 747 may have reached the end of its production run, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be seen or flown in airports. Lufthansa, Korean Air, and Air China are among the few commercial airlines that still fly the newest variant of the Boeing 747, the B747-8 Intercontinental. As a result, if you want to fly on a Boeing 747, simply book your flights on those carriers.
There are still a few operators of classic 747s, such as Lufthansa, which operates eight 747-400s, and Asiana, which operates one 747-400.
The plane that shrunk the world
Aside from the “Queen of the Skies” moniker owing to the 747’s majestic image, it was also dubbed “the world shrinker.” The 747 was also the first long-distance widebody plane, transporting many passengers halfway around the world. It basically connected the world, allowing people to travel almost anywhere.
The majority of the world’s legacy and major airlines flew at least one 747. Philippine Airlines operated 747s for 35 years, from the 747-200 to the 747-400. This enabled PAL to launch nonstop flights to and from the United States.
The end of the quad-jets
The final Boeing 747 flight also signals the end of quad-jet or four-engine aircraft production. All commercial passenger aircraft produced today are twin-engined. The 747 will eventually be replaced by the 777-9X, the world’s longest twin-engine plane. To name a few quad-jets, the Airbus A380, A340, B707, Douglas DC-8, Convair 990/880, BAe 146/Avro RJ100, Ilyushin Il-96, and De Havilland Comet were all quad-jet planes.
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