Boeing Is Currently Assembling The Last Ever 747 Jumbo Jet

From SimpleFlying:

The last Boeing 747 will soon roll off the manufacturer’s production line as it is nearing completion on assembly as the freighter variant. Once the finishing touches are tidied up, and the aircraft gets rolled off, the final Boeing 747-8F will be delivered to Atlas Air as the cargo carrier’s final delivery of the aircraft type, marking the end of an iconic half-century-long era in the aviation industry.”

“While the end of the Queen was foreseen for a more distant future, the introductions of new-generation twin-engined revolutionaries and the collapse in demand for travel during the pandemic made the end come sooner than Boeing and aviation enthusiasts would have preferred. Paired with rising fuel costs, the Boeing 747 was no longer as economical as it once was, and only a small handful of airlines still operate passenger flights using the Queen. Still, the Queen proves more useful in these times for its cargo capabilities. Atlas Air and UPS currently stand on the podium as the biggest Boeing 747 operator with both the -400F and -800F variants in their respective fleets.

“As the Queen reaches the end of her time, Boeing has essentially hit the brakes on one of its most significant rainmakers. Without the production of the Boeing 747s, the manufacturer would rely more heavily upon its other notable and more popular modern widebodies, the Boeing 777 and 787 Dreamliner. Despite the resumption of the production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the planemaker still hasn’t experienced a smooth enough for the Boeing 777X. And with similar troubles plaguing its narrowbody productions, Boeing hopes to regain the glory of producing revolutionary aircraft, though its peak might have gone by alongside the Boeing 747.“