End of an era: Last Boeing 747 rolls off production line

After more than half a century, aircraft manufacturer Boeing is ending the production run of its 747 jumbo jet. The last Boeing 747 has rolled out of a factory in Washington, USA, evoking nostalgic reactions from aviation enthusiasts and industry experts.

The 1574th – and last - Boeing 747 will be delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air early next, according to CNBC. Before that, it will be flown by a Boeing test pilot and painted.

“The last 747 has left our Everett factory ahead of delivery to Atlas Air in early 2023,” Boeing tweeted along with pictures of the airplane, covered in green protective coating, being rolled out of the factory.
Tesla billionaire Elon Musk called the 747 one of the “best aircraft ever” in response to Boeing’s post.

Jet Airways CEO Sanjiv Kapoor shared a throwback picture of the first Boeing 747 rollout from 54 years ago, juxtaposed with the last of the jumbo aircraft. “Like the late Queen, this Queen defined longevity and stateliness through good times and bad,” he wrote.
First produced in 1969, the Boeing 747 became the largest commercial aircraft in the world. It has two aisles and is capable of carrying nearly 500 people.

Over the course of half a century, 747s have been used as commercial airplanes, cargo jets and even as the Air Force One presidential aircraft, reports The Guardian. The aircraft’s second deck gives it a distinctive ‘hump’ which has earned it the nickname “the whale.”

The move to end 747 production is a result of airlines pushing for more fuel-efficient aircraft. United and Delta stopped using Boeing 747 years before the pandemic, while Qantas and British Airways bid goodbye to the jumbo jet during the pandemic.