Why Boeing Is Saying Goodbye To The 747

The last Boeing 747 has rolled off the production floor, ending over half a century of consistent production and deliveries. A monumental time for the aircraft manufacturer that said goodbye to the queen of the skies forever, but why did such a critical aircraft have to see production end?

Let’s begin with industry trends. The Boeing 747 and other superjumbos like it have certainly been in their twilight phase for some time now, and one could even argue that for the 747-8 and the Airbus A380, by the time they arrived in the industry, the era of the superjumbo was already beginning to fade away slowly but surely.

This can be down to several things, but industry trends have shifted drastically. Once the primary long-haul option was a quad-engined Boeing product, possibilities have expanded: Boeing and Airbus now lead with wide-body, twin-engined aircraft capable of 19-hour flights with efficiency, blowing four-engined planes out of the water. 

While aircraft like the Boeing 747 offer higher capacity than, say, a Boeing 787, the reality is that achieving that capacity is difficult, so the plane often operates at a lower-than-expected load factor. This means that large aircraft such as these only work in specialised markets, you could say, markets that can make these aircraft work well.

So while not centred on the 747, but very much applicable to the superjumbo conversation, what Emirates has done with their A380 series highlights how a plane that hasn’t worked as well globally can excel in a market fit for its purpose; apply that to the 747-8 in this scenario. It highlights its strengths but also very much its weaknesses and how immediately you’re ruling out a significant amount of potential customer interest. 

Whereas for a plane like the Boeing 777, which is now getting on in age, or the Boeing 787, moving across even the Airbus A350. These twin-engined planes offer customers looking to buy a wide-body far more flexibility than a Boeing 747 would in this era of flight. United Airlines flies the Boeing 787 series extensively worldwide, operating all three variants in ways that benefit its network and operations.

The 787-10 is the family’s most prominent member, with the highest seat capacity, and you can see it on flights like Newark to Los Angeles. At the same time, a 787-9 can fly from Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia. Airlines benefit from improved efficiency and the versatility of this next-generation aircraft, which helps them.

Sure, the Boeing 747 was an aircraft that had that many decades ago, but the key is that it was many decades ago. Unfortunately, the plane is not what it once was, and that’s evident in the lack of sales for the passenger variant of the 747-8, which production ceased many years ago. Only now is the freighter variant keeping the 747’s name alive in production. Meanwhile, A380 production ended a year ago. 

Passenger airlines no longer demand quad-engined planes. They’ve now found more effective aircraft for their operations. But, with the risks associated with taking on a Boeing 747, the biggest being the need to fill the plane on every flight, for most airlines and especially following the pandemic, it’s not an option that makes sense.

Though this doesn’t apply to every airline, as the 747 still flies with some customers, the pandemic only highlighted what we already knew about the queen of the skies: it is a dying breed in its twilight.

The pandemic saw an onslaught of retirements, but most notably, Qantas, KLM and British Airways all announced the immediate retirement of the queen, a shock to many enthusiasts, but one that certainly showcased the valid concerns over continuing to fly such a plane. 

Emirates executives have called for a new large plane to be built, like the Airbus A380. Still, aircraft manufacturers are not budging; their focus has shifted elsewhere, and that’s another critical point in the analysis.

Focus is no longer on creating these 500+ seat giants, but on relatively efficient wide-body and narrow-body planes capable of completing long-range missions at a fraction of the cost, while also sustainability being at the forefront of conversations as these very aircraft manufacturers explore SAF, sustainable aviation fuel, battery technology and more for future eras of flight. 

As Boeing wraps up their 747 programs, the 747 will remain in our skies for quite some time. However, its presence will be felt mostly in the freighter market, as it continues to operate routinely with leading companies such as UPS, Atlas Air, and Cargolux. 

Even as the aircraft departs from Boeing factories and heads into the twilight of its time in the industry, its impact is unmistakable and will hardly be forgotten anytime soon. So I encourage you to use the comments to share your fondest memories of the Boeing 747 as a series of aircraft.

It could be your time flying on it, a memorable spotting journey, or something else. For me, it’s the reason I am here today making this content and my passion for aviation, so yes, it’s a pretty special plane close to my heart.