747 data snapshot as Boeing's big jet takes final bow

Boeing marks the end of an era today with the 1,573rd and final delivery of the iconic “Seven Forty Seven”. While the original jumbo jet will continue to operate for many years, the curtain coming down on the #B747 production certainly marks a significant landmark in commercial aviation history.

When Boeing launched the 747 with Pan Am’s backing in April 1966, industry magazine Flight International commented that the 747 and other proposed giant airliners “will continue the vulgarisation of worldwide travel to an extent beyond the capability of existing aircraft”. There is no doubt that its arrival in 1970, which ushered in the widebody era, brought a step change in airliner passenger capacity. Not only did it have more capacity than contemporary airliners, but it also had more range.

Data from Cirium highlights some key aspects of the more than five decades 747 production. After the first deliveries in 1969 (to Pan Am for crew training), Boeing set a delivery record for the aircraft in 1970 that would never be surpassed. It shipped 92 aircraft in 1970, and 71 the following year. Subsequent annual delivery volumes only got close again in 1979/80 (67/73 deliveries) and 1990 (70 deliveries).

The 747 in-service passenger airline fleet peaked in 1997/1998 at around 800 aircraft, with freighters and other roles combining to take the inventory to just above 1,000 aircraft. The passenger fleet then followed a steady declining trajectory, as older aircraft were retired (including cargo converted) and new the big twins took over. The A380’s introduction in 2007 also provided airlines with a 747 replacement option, although only in relatively small numbers.

Just prior to the pandemic, the 747 passenger fleet in service with airlines still numbered around 150 aircraft – along with almost 300 freighters. British Airways and Lufthansa were the largest passenger operators, with just over 30 aircraft each. The Covid crisis of course decimated the passenger fleet, and by the start of this year just 44 were back in service, the majority operated by Lufthansa (26). Other significant operators include Air China (four), Atlas (five) and Korean Air (seven).

The type’s longer-term future of course lies in the cargo sector, where some 300 747s are currently in service and Cirium data shows the leading operators include UPS (40), Atlas (38) and Cargolux (28). Boeing ensured the aircraft had good freight-carrying credentials in its original design, adopting a raised cockpit configuration that provided a long cargo bay and nose-loading capability. Ironically, this was Seattle’s insurance against the risk of early obsolescence for the passenger 747 from the advent of supersonic transports…?

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