Boeing’s 747 aircraft, dubbed the “Queen of the Sky” and leading the popularization of air travel, disappears into history 53 years after its first flight.

According to Reuters, the last aircraft of the Boeing 747 will be delivered to Atlas Air, the world’s largest international cargo carrier, on the 31st of this month (local time). It has been 53 years since it was first delivered to Pan American World Airlines in 1969 and put on the route the following year.
The Boeing 747 is considered the history of the modern aviation industry that opened the door to large-scale long-distance air travel. In the 1960s, Juan Tripp, the founder of Pan Am, the largest airline in the U.S., asked Boeing Chairman William Allen to develop a new aircraft under the goal of reducing costs by increasing the number of seats. Boeing 747, which was not well received in the early stages of development, was in its heyday in 1989 with the launch of the 747-400 using new engines and light materials. The introduction of Boeing 747 has more than doubled the capacity of the aircraft to 350 to 400 people and even changed the airport design. “The Boeing 747 has contributed to the popularization of air travel as an aircraft for the public,” said aviation historian Max Kingsley Jones.

However, the Boeing 747, which has carried numerous passengers and cargo for more than 50 years, has not overcome the barriers of new technology. As the introduction of two-engine twin-engine aircraft has increased, the Boeing 747, which has four engines, has become disadvantageous in terms of economic feasibility.

Boeing has already produced only 747s exclusively for cargo since 2017 and has not made 747s exclusively for passengers. “(Boeing 747) was one of the wonders of the modern industrial era,” said Richard Abulapia, managing director of Aerodynamic Advisory. “But now is an era of economic feasibility.”Some worry that there is still no Boeing next passenger plane model to replace the 747. Boeing’s new long-range passenger plane 777X is not expected to be available until 2025 due to delayed development. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said, “Boeing may not be able to design a new passenger plane for at least the next decade.”

TED PARK

ASIA JOURNAL