Boeing is preparing to officially bid farewell to the original jumbo jet, the 747, with the latest commercial delivery of the airplane that democratized flying and served US presidents. The maiden commercial flight had taken place in the colors of PanAm , on January 22, 1970between Washington and London.
Boeing has announced the end of production of the four-engine jumbo jet, after 50 years, to focus instead on the production of two-engine wide-body airliners, more economical in terms of fuel consumption.
Many companies, to save money due to the absence of passengers due to the pandemic, grounded the expensive 747s and never used them again. However, over 300 of the 747s have been converted to freighters and are in use around the world. As proof of the iconicity of this model, just think that Air Force One, the plane of the US president, is a Boeing 747.
Thousands of current and former employees will gather today at the Boeing factory in Everett, Washington, in the northwestern United States, for a final farewell celebration, coinciding with the delivery of a Boeing 747-8 cargo plane at Atlas Air.
The existing fleet of aircraft is expected to fly for decades to come, but by ceasing production of the 747 more than 50 years after the airplane’s first flight, Boeing is closing a chapter in the history of civil aviation.
In 55 years, the world’s first twin-aisle aircraft flew under the colors of more than 100 airlines. Carrying 360 passengers in the first 1970 version, the later 747-8 version was certified for up to 605 passengers.
