Boeing receives last order for 747, ending production of the famous commercial airplane

Aviation Geeks they knew that day had been arriving since July, but Boeing’s confirmation on Monday that it will end production of its Jumbo 747 jet next year is still bitter news to swallow. The last aircraft to leave the gigantic factory that Boeing purposely built to manufacture the double-decker plane for over 50 years will be four 747-8 freighters commissioned by Atlas Air.

Priced at about $ 149 million each, the aircraft will do the heavy lifting and critical work to fly air cargo around the world. Although the passenger version of the 747 with its exclusive ladder and upper deck has rightly earned the title of Queen of Heaven, it is perfectly appropriate for the pioneer aircraft to end on a cargo note.

Boeing developed the passenger version of the giant plane only after losing a competition in 1965 to build large military transport for the United States Air Force. (Lockheed won the battle with its plan for the C5A Galaxy) Produced by Pan Am, Boeing redesigned its transportation concept to transport people.

After becoming a best seller among commercial airlines, the 747’s success as a freighter was due not only to its immense size (the 747-8 can accommodate 137.7 metric tons of cargo), but also because its nose oscillating allowed easy loading of cargo. Airbus tried to outperform Boeing with a cargo version of its A380 even bigger, but never found buyers.

Boeing has already stopped production of its 747-8 Intercontinental passenger version, and both he and previous 747 versions are an incredibly rare sight in the skies today. The airlines had already withdrawn the aircraft in recent years, but when the Pandid-19 pandemic sharply reduced air travel worldwide, the last 747 commercials have landed forever.

Boeing says it will deliver the last aircraft to Atlas Air in 2022. Since the 747’s first flight on February 9, 1969, Boeing has built 1,560 747 aircraft.