The idea was to take advantage of the new engines developed for transport - high-bypass turbofan engines, which burned less fuel by passing air around the engine core, enabling a farther flight range - and to use them for a newly imagined civilian aircraft.

'Nobody wants a four-engine airliner anymore, but that doesn't erase the tremendous contribution the aircraft made to the development of the industry or its remarkable legacy.'īoeing set out to build the 747 after losing a contract for a huge military transport, the C-5A. 'If you love this business, you've been dreading this moment,' said longtime aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia. The last one is being delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air. Boeing rolled out the final 747 jumbo jet late Tuesday, ending production of the aircraft after more than 50 years.Ī big crowd of current and former Boeing workers is expected for the final send-off. A Boeing 747 plane during an event at the company's facility in Everett, Washington, US, on Tuesday, Dec. The final plane is the 1,574th built by Boeing in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. It revolutionized travel, connecting international cities that had never before had direct routes and helping democratize passenger flight.īut over about the past 15 years, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have introduced more profitable and fuel-efficient wide-body planes, with only two engines to maintain instead of the 747′s four. Since its first flight in 1969, the giant yet graceful 747 has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, a transport for NASA's space shuttles, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft. SEATTLE (AP) - Boeing bids farewell to an icon on Tuesday: It's delivering its final 747 jumbo jet.

747 cockpit back view