Boeing says farewell to its famous jumbo jet

With a stock market value of $125 billion, Boeing is the words biggest aerospace manufacturer. The company constructs commercial jets, missiles, space technology and military aircraft.

On January 31st 2023, Boeing marked the end of a 55-year era by giving the legendary 747 jumbo jet a grand send-off.  The Boeing 747 is known to be a large, long-range wide-body airliner. Once known as “the Queen of the Skies”, this jumbo jet revolutionised air travel by helping demands meet for flights since the late 1960s, as the world’s first twin-aisle aircraft.

Ben Smith, chief executive of Air France-KLM, has commented, “Prior to the 747, your average family couldn’t fly from the US to Europe affordably.” This demonstrates the significance this aircraft had on society.

Now, nearly six decades later, the 747 programme will end. To commemorate the occasion, 747 was given a send-off in the skies over Washington State. The crew flew a special flight path, drawing a massive crown in the sky in the shape of ‘747.’

In 1968, when the first 747 rolled off Boeing’s assembly line, the jumbo design revolutionized airline service.

Back in 1970, the 747 doubled the capacity of a typical commercial jet, with up to 400 seats, with Pan Am on the London to New York route.

It took years for the programme to properly get off the ground, and pushed Boeing to the brink in terms of cost. In 1989, the arrival of the 747-400 helped meet the mounting demand for transpacific flights due to its newer engine, as well as being made from lighter materials.

After delivering 1574 jets to over 100 customers, Boeing is finally ending its 747 programme. Despite this, the latest iteration, the 747-8 will continue flying for years, predominantly as a freight carrier.

Questions are now being raised in anticipation of the final 747 delivery. What is the future for Boeing's widebody manufacturing site in Seattle?

Dave Calhoun, Chief Executive of Boeing, has stated that Boeing may not design a new airliner for at least a decade.