Over 50 years of owning the skies comes to an end as Boeing bids farewell to the 747

This week Boeing celebrated the end of an era with the delivery of its last 747 jumbo jet. Known as the “Queen of the skies,” the 747 has dominated the airways for over fifty years. The company commemorated the last pair of super wings with a ceremony featuring the engineers, designers, and staff that contributed over half a century to the production of the aircraft.

The NY Post stated the 1,574th plane, a model 747-8 Freighter, was rolled out off the production line in December. On Tuesday, the final plane made one last trip from Boeing’s headquarters in Everett, Washington, to Atlas Air in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At the ceremony, Kim Smith, Boeing’s vice president and general manager for the 747 and 767 programs, told Reuters. “It’s a very emotional experience, I know, for so many of the current team and so many that have lineage in the program over the many decades.”

At the time of its creation, 747s were constructed to be a “cruise ship in the sky.” The prototype for the massive plane was completed in December 1969 and introduced to the public in the 1970s. PanAm was the first American airline to test out the new giant. 747s became popular as air travel became more accessible in the 70s. Its first trip off the runway was from New York to London.

They were coveted for their style and space, amenities that were unheard of in that era. The span of a 747 is comparable to a six-story building. Simple Flying claims that the new planes were two-and-a-half times bigger than the 707, the largest plane at that time. The aircraft is assigned to do more than air travel. The 747 is the airliner that NASA prefers to adhere to the side of space shuttles during take-off.

747s were the first jetliners to have twin aisles and triple middle seating. Their infamous spiral staircases led up to an upstairs deck initially used for the flight crew but eventually evolved into bars and lounge areas for first-class passengers. Their comfortable interior came equipped with movie screens, reclining chairs, and ample leg room says OPB.org.

The hype around the aircraft increased with PanAm’s enticing television commercials and inflight promotional videos that ran in the 70s.

As the world is moving on to more environmentally sound and sustainable ways to travel, the “4-engine” era that birthed the 747 is coming to an end.

Aviation analyst Richard Aboulafia told The Associated Press. “If you love this business, you’ve been dreading this moment. 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.”

Boeing has plans to introduce their newest two-engine planes, including the 737 Max. It also plans to continue the revisions of its 787 Dreamliners and produce 777s and 767s. NY Post adds that two 747s will be modified and used as replacement aircrafts for the White House’s Air Force One.

Martie Bowser is a journalist and public relations professional in Charlotte, NC. She enjoys amplifying the voices of POC and women that fill a void within their community. Her bylines include “person of interest” interviews, small business highlights, pop culture commentary, entertainment features, and everything Beyonce.

This story was originally published February 2, 2023 at 10:16 PM with the headline "Over 50 years of owning the skies comes to an end as Boeing bids farewell to the 747."