After more than half a century, the last Boeing 747 leaves its factory in Washington state. The giant plane first appeared in 1969.
The aircraft, which served as a cargo plane, as a commercial airliner capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers and as Air Force One, was the largest commercial airliner in the world and the first with two aisles and two decks.
The 747’s design included a second deck extending from the cockpit back over the first third of the plane, giving it a distinctive hump that made the plane instantly recognizable and inspired its nickname, the Whale. More elegantly, the 747 became known as the Queen of the Sky.
It took more than 50,000 Boeing employees less than 16 months to produce the first 747. The company has completed 1,573 of the aircraft since then.
But over the past 15 years, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have launched new wide-body aircraft with two engines instead of four engines. It was more fuel efficient and profitable.
Delta was the last US carrier to use the 747 for passenger flights, which ended in 2017, though some other international carriers continue to operate it, including German airline Lufthansa.
The final customer is freighter Atlas Air, which ordered four 747-8 freighters early this year. The last plane was scheduled to roll out from Boeing’s massive plant in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday night.
Boeing has roots in the Seattle area, with assembly plants in Washington State and South Carolina. The company announced in May that it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia.
Moving to the Washington, D.C., area brings its executives closer to key federal government officials and the Federal Aviation Administration, which certifies Boeing’s passenger and cargo planes. (AFP)