After 53 years in production the 1,547th and last Boeing 747 left the assembly building in Everett, Washington, Tuesday evening. The last of its type is a cargo version that will be delivered to Atlas Air in 2023. The aircraft will undergo its shakedown flights in the next few weeks before heading to Portland for paint. Atlas bought the final four aircraft, all 747-8s, the final and largest version of the iconic plane.
Only a handful of airlines, including Lufthansa and Korean Airlines, still use them for passengers and Delta was the last U.S. airline to fly them when it stopped in 2017. More fuel-efficient long-range twins turned the tide against the first Jumbo Jet, which was launched with luxurious amenities like a full first class lounge and bar in its unique upstairs cabin. Airlines quickly packed seats into those spaces and most airlines used the upstairs as an economy cabin because first class passengers didn’t want to climb the stairs.
The 747 was to jets what the Connie was to props – classy.
First class passengers didn’t want to climb the stairs?? Did that really show up in passenger research or is that just a myth? I love to see stats from the airlines to back that up.
A myth.
While they were active at Thai, JAL, Lufthansa and NWA/ Delta /PAA/UAL one would nearly always see business/first class on the upper deck, along with several rows of first at the extreme nose, where after all it is the quietest. An exception I am aware of is ‘Domestic’ JAL and ANA birds, which put economy class pax on ‘stretched upper deck’ -100, -200s, and -300 and -400D airplanes.
My last ride on a pax -200 was with Air Pacific c.2000, I had a business class seat on the upper deck, spiral staircase and all 🙂
The reason for the ‘lounges’ up top on the early birds was that initially they had 1 slide-equipped emergency exit on that level, only on the right, shared by pax and crew- so the US FAA said no pax occupancy during takeoff and landing. But in flight the Feds said the area could be used for relaxation.
Boeing later modified existing airplanes with a second, left side upper deck ‘service door’/emergency exit or built them (from the -200 series on, pretty much) as such. So, as soon as pax could be seated legally for the whole flight, out went the couches and in went first/business class seats- more $$.
I never saw ‘short upper deck’ 747s with anything besides first/business class seats. There was indeed a piano lounge in some planes in the early days but I’m not sure if they ever had the piano on the upper deck; there are videos of AA’s that show piano/bar setup at the after end of the first class cabin on the main deck…usually there was a galley at the after end of both the short and long ‘hump’ airplanes that food carts were lifted up to by an elevator.
The is indeed a U.S. airline that has continued to fly passenger 747s, albeit on mostly charter services – Atlas Air, the one mentioned in the article.
Atlas’s first pax service in the 747-400 was regular flights from Houston to Luanda, Angola around 2010 IIRC and have flown 3-5 ‘whales’-all -400s- in pax configuration ever since. The airplanes came from JAL, ANA, UAL and most recently Virgin. Some are in a high-density 450+ seat configuration while others have less than 200 first/business in VIP service. Most charters are for sports teams/celebrities or the DoD.
Thank you for the article. Atlas will doubtless fly 747s, especially the -8Fs for many years to come unless perhaps oil goes to $200/barrel. And even if jet fuel gets ultra pricey, there is no other non-Russian civilian airplane that can carry the crazy-long cargo that a 747 ‘nose loader’ can…
I would heartily recommend a ride on a B747-8 ‘Intercontinental’ if you have the chance. For my money it’s the smoothest, quietest ride in the sky. The pax windows are a little bigger than the -400s and they have really done a number on soundproofing/lighting. It is a real shame that Boeing didn’t sell more, but the twins have won the $$ battle and to be fair the B777X can pretty much do the same job.
JMHO
Not only the end of an era for the airplane it represents the end of an era for the Boeing that used to be, the world leader in airliner design and a swing for the fences, engineering led management team.
To be fair, Boeing’s ‘Golden Age’ 1945-1968, of B377-B47,B52, B707-727-737-747, was helmed by William Allen, a lawyer.
He likely listened to his engineering team and didn’t sell his soul for ‘shareholder value’ and stock options, however.
The Queen of the Skies and the democratization of air travel. 1968-2022, first and last roll-outs. Majestic. Now, why do I feel melancholic?