Last Boeing 747 rolls off assembly line after a 53-year production run

After more than 53 years and 1,574 planes built, the last Boeing 747 jumbo jet has rolled off Boeing’s famous assembly line in Everett, Washington.

The 747 started commercial service back in 1970 with PanAmerican World Airways. Since then, the aircraft has become an icon of modern aviation and one of the most recognizable aircraft ever due to its hump. The aircraft helped make long-haul travel much more accessible than before, and it revolutionized aircraft design with its wide-body.

The aircraft, while being very revolutionary back in the 70s and 80s, has now become obsolete and inefficient for passenger operations with the introduction of newer twin-engined aircraft such as the 767, 777, 787, A330, and A350 airlines can’t wait to get rid of their four-engine aircraft such as the 747. Twin-engined aircraft allow airlines to operate multiple flights daily to the same destination allowing for more daily flights. In other routes, it will enable them to have less capacity, allowing them to serve destinations with less demand.

However, while the 747 has gone out of favor in the commercial airline space, in the cargo sector, it has not. The hump with the cockpit in the upper deck allows for the aircraft’s nose to open, allowing for more oversized cargo and more effortless loading; this, coupled with the aircraft’s huge payload capacity, has made it an ideal aircraft for cargo airlines. Many 747s have been converted to a cargo configuration, and many others have been specially built to haul cargo.

The 747s end has come at a time when Boeing is struggling; it all started with the 737 MAX fiasco, which led to two crashes and 346 people losing their lives; the company is now trying to certify the 737 MAX 10 but is facing issues with regulators, very long delays on deliveries of its 787, and a five-year delay on their 777X program which has some customers on the verge of canceling their orders, they also have to deliver two 747s meant to serve as Air Force One by 2025; however, these, too, are facing delays and significant cost overruns.

The 747 program’s end was imminent, with rival Airbus ending production of its A380 last year. The 747 managed to stay in production for a bit longer, with it only being saved by cargo orders for UPS and Atlas Air; now, the last 747 line, number 1,574, has been built and will be delivered to Atlas Air.