It's over after more than 50 years: With the delivery of the last Boeing 747, the end of production of the classic aircraft is sealed. The giant aircraft shaped the history of aviation like few other models. John Travolta is also coming to the farewell party – who might even steer the jumbo.
More than 50 years after the first commercial flight of the Boeing 747, the last new example of the legendary wide-body aircraft has been delivered. The moment was celebrated at a ceremony at Boeing's Everett, Washington, West Coast facility, attended by thousands of guests, including numerous current and former employees, suppliers and customers.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said the jumbo jet held a "very special place" in the hearts of everyone at the German airline. The Boeing 747 made the world "smaller" and thus also "more peaceful". Hollywood actor John Travolta - a passionate pilot with a license for the 747 - also gave a speech.
At the end of the ceremony, the Boeing 747-8 cargo plane was handed over to the US charter airline Atlas Air. Boeing 747 machines will still be in use for decades. Nevertheless, the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is closing an important chapter in aviation history with the delivery of the last newly built aircraft. The group announced in the summer of 2020 that it would phase out the production of the "Queen of the Skies".
The Boeing 747 with the characteristic hump entered service in 1970 and for a long time was the largest passenger aircraft in the world. The machine can accommodate more than 600 people. For many airlines, however, such large aircraft are no longer profitable due to the high fuel consumption. They rely on smaller and more efficient machines that give them more flexibility.
In February 2019, Boeing competitor Airbus announced the end of its giant aircraft A380, which had replaced the Boeing 747 in 2005 as the world's largest passenger aircraft. The European aircraft manufacturer had thus drawn the consequences from the lack of demand for the double-deck giant jet.
Boeing had started developing the 747 in the 1960s, partly at the urging of US airline Pan Am. Back then, aviation was on the rise, and more and more people wanted to travel by plane. The Boeing 747, with its large passenger capacity and long range, has "enabled the middle class to fly from Europe and the USA for an affordable price," says aviation specialist Michel Merluzeau from the consultancy Air. "It opened the world."
1,574 Boeing 747s were built over the decades. The four-engine machine was developed from the start to also be able to serve as a freighter - and should be in use in this sector for a long time to come.
