It’s a piece of history that is coming to an end. Tuesday, January 31, Boeing will deliver the last copy of its mythical 747. The little story will remember that it is the American company Atlas Air which will take delivery in Seattle (Washington State) of the 1,574e ultimate example of the long-haul jumbo jet; a freighter version, like the majority of 747s that have rolled off the lines in recent years. For the occasion, Boeing organized a ceremony in its factory in Everett, in the greater suburbs of Seattle; a site built in 1969 precisely to produce the famous jumbo-jet then its successors, the 767, the 777 and the 787 Dreamliner.
A real tribute to this aircraft which has done a lot for the fame of the American aircraft manufacturer. Registered N863GT, the latest 747 is also adorned with the portrait of Joe Sutter, considered the father of the aircraft. For this reception, former and current employees were invited. Note that many of them, retired or still active, have spent their entire career on the 747.
Launched in 1969, the 747 arrived in the skies exactly to accompany the democratization of leisure, the beginnings of mass tourism. With its imposing wingspan and its two decks, its so recognizable hump, the 747 was then the king of the sky.
In the imagination of passengers, the plane remains intimately linked to Pan Am, the company that launched the aircraft, and to the inimitable peacock blue uniform of its air hostesses. The plane alone seemed to justify the famous slogan: « If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going ! » (“If it’s not a Boeing, I’m not going! ») which had not yet been created for him. A time when Boeing had no real competitors other than Americans.
The switch between easyJet and low cost
It was not until the end of 1970 that EADS, later renamed Airbus, was laid on the baptismal font. Long challenger of the American, the Franco-European group also wanted to have its emblematic long-haul. It was the A380, another giant of the air, which in turn became the favorite aircraft of passengers around the world. It is no coincidence that the two jumbo jets bowed out a few short years apart. Due to the lack of enough customers, Tom Enders, then head of Airbus, decided to stop production of his long-haul jumbo jet, and the last A380 rolled off the assembly lines in 2021.
The epic of the 747 also illustrates the time when long-haul was the king segment for aircraft manufacturers and airlines alike. The most profitable sector for a long time. It was with its jumbo jet and its successors that Boeing made the most money. It is with business and first class that companies have long inflated their margins. A golden age now over.
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