Boeing has delivered its final 747 jumbo jet, bringing to a close more than 50 years of its production, to Atlas Air Worldwide, the largest operator of the widebody jet called as the "Queen of the Skies."
The aerospace and defense major and Atlas Air joined thousands of people to celebrate the delivery of the final 747-8 Freighter at the Everett factory, where 747 began its journey in 1967.
Boeing employees who designed and built the first 747, known as the "Incredibles," along with current employees, customers and suppliers were part of the celebration.
The production of the 747, the world's first twin-aisle airplane that entered to service in 1970, spanned 54 years, during which a total of 1,574 airplanes were built at the Everett factory.
Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said, "This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that 'shrank the world,' and revolutionized travel and air cargo as the first widebody."
Atlas Air, which was founded over 30 years ago with a single 747-200 converted freighter, said it has operated nearly every fleet type of the 747, including the Dreamlifter, Boeing's 747 Large Cargo Freighter, for the transport of 787 Dreamliner parts.
Boeing in July 2020 had announced that it was ceasing production of the jet, which offers travel across vast distances and provides non-stop trans-oceanic flights.
While announcing the final delivery plans in last December, Boeing had stated that the 747-8 Freighter is the longest commercial aircraft in service, and has a revenue payload of 133.1 tonnes, enough to transport 10,699 solid-gold bars or around 19 million ping-pong balls or golf balls.
In the fourth quarter, Boeing delivered 152 commercial airplanes, including two 747s, and a total of 480 commercial airplanes in 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the Commercial Airplanes backlog was 4,578 jets.
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