What is so great about the Boeing 747?

At its launch, the jumbo was cutting-edge. It carried more than twice as many passengers as Boeing's next largest plane and was more fuel-efficient, reducing the cost per seat and opening up the world to jet travel. Pictures of the space shuttle piggybacking on the back of Nasa's 747s only added to its glory.



The Boeing 747, famously known as the "Queen of the Skies," is widely considered the most iconic aircraft in aviation history because it revolutionized global travel. Introduced in 1970, it was the first "wide-body" jet, and its massive capacity (capable of carrying over 400–500 passengers) significantly lowered the cost of international flights, making long-distance travel accessible to the average person for the first time. Its distinctive "hump" on the upper deck was an engineering solution to allow for a nose-loading cargo door, but it became a symbol of high-class travel, often housing luxury lounges or first-class cabins. The 747's four-engine design provided immense power and reliability, allowing it to cross oceans with ease before modern twin-engine ETOPS regulations were established. It has served as Air Force One, the NASA Shuttle Carrier, and a critical global cargo hauler. While it is being phased out by more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets like the 787 and A350, the 747 remains a marvel of 20th-century engineering, representing an era of unprecedented progress and the "golden age" of flight that forever changed how the world connects.

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The 747 went into service in the early 1970s, at a time of major societal change. It drove exponential growth in air travel, tourism, and connections between people around the world. In its first year, a fully-loaded 747 cut the cost of flying a passenger by half. Flying became instantly more accessible.

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With its impressive size and graceful appearance, the 747, known as the “Queen of the Skies,” has been one of the most recognizable and versatile aircraft since its first flight in 1969.

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The Boeing 747 is a large, wide-body (two-aisle) airliner with four wing-mounted engines. Its wings have a high sweep angle of 37.5° for a fast, efficient cruise speed of Mach 0.84 to 0.88, depending on the variant. The sweep also reduces the wingspan, allowing the 747 to use existing hangars.

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Built in 1967 to produce the mammoth jet, it remains the world's largest manufacturing plant according to Boeing. But after five decades, customer demand for the 747 eroded as Boeing and Airbus (AIR.PA) developed more fuel efficient two-engine widebody planes.

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No more 747s are being made, but Boeing notes that they're still taking flight. The 1970s version even inspired one man to build a ground-based replica. We are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come, Boeing's Smith said. Copyright 2023 NPR.

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But over the last few decades, airlines have pushed aircraft manufacturers for more fuel-efficient planes to reduce costs. Two-engine jets can now fly near the same capacity and fly farther than older, four-engine planes like Boeing's 747 and the Airbus A380.

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The Queen of the Skies. The jumbo jet. The whale. All are nicknames for the Boeing 747, the most famous jet airliner ever to ply the sky.

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The Boeing 747 is becoming increasingly rare at airports around the world – at least in the passenger version. More and more airlines are retiring the queen of the skies. The coronavirus pandemic in particular has radically accelerated this process in some cases.

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The 747 has also had an incredible safety record despite being involved in disasters such as the Tenerife incident in the Canary Islands when two 747s collided on the runway, and a Japan Airlines 747 that suffered explosive decompression in mid-flight, the two worst incidents in commercial aviation history that each ...

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Therefore, the ERJ135/140/145 members of the family are among the safest airliners in history. The Airbus A340 is also one of the safest, with no fatal accidents involving any of the 380 units since its introduction in March 1993.

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The design, power, and cockpit foot heaters that make the 747 feel like home to pilots. Mark Vanhoenacker in the cockpit of a Boeing 747-400.

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While the B747 is a heavyweight itself, it manages to strike a better balance in fuel efficiency compared to the A380. Its newer iterations, such as the B747-8, incorporate fuel-saving enhancements, making it more economically viable for airlines.

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The Airbus A380 beats the Boeing 747 in passenger capacity, with the ability to accommodate 250 more passengers in a full economy configuration. The A380 offers more interior space, allowing for the inclusion of bars, showers, lounges, and private suites, making it a popular choice for luxurious first-class offerings.

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The arrival of the A380 in 2007 was poorly timed. The price of jet fuel had begun to creep up, and by 2007 was floating at around $4 a gallon. This made airlines shy away from the expensive to operate four engine jets of the 80s and 90s, and to look instead to fuel efficiency as a major deciding factor.

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