Last Boeing 747 rolls off Everett factory line.
After 53 years and more than 1,570 planes, the last Boeing 747 rolled off the assembly line in Washington state Tuesday evening, on its way to serve as a cargo plane.
The final customer was Atlas Air, which ordered four 747-8 freighters early this year.
The 747 jumbo jet has taken on numerous roles in its lifetime: a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and even the Air Force One presidential aircraft.
When it was first produced in 1969, it was the largest commercial aircraft in the world and the first with two aisles. Even today, it still towers over most other planes.
The aircraft’s design included a second deck extending from the cockpit back out over the front third of the plane, giving it a distinctive hump that made it instantly recognisable.
The 747, dubbed the ‘Queen of the Skies,’ was once the choice of the rich and famous, and even royalty. Many movies, including the 1973 James Bond classic “Live and Let Die” featured the plane.
However, the aircrafts days as a passenger plane are now almost completely behind it.
93% of all 747 flights in November 2022 were dedicated cargo flights, while just 5.9% of 747 flights carried passengers.
Lufthansa operates the greatest number of 747 flights per day at 26. The carrier offers daily service from Frankfurt to 10 cities: Bengaluru, Chicago, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Miami, Mexico City, New York, São Paulo, Tokyo, and Washington DC.
Korean Air offers daily service to Atlanta and Honolulu, as well as frequent service to Tokyo-Narita.
It’s also possible to travel on passenger 747s operated by Air China, Asiana Airlines, and Mahan Air.
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