[the 747] has become something relatively obsolete,” says Sobie. For passenger flights, the plane is doubly obsolete. The 747, with its ability to seat more than 500 passengers at maximum capacity, doesn't reflect the current market for air travel.
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Thirteen passenger configured 747-400s are currently in VIP service for government and military transport, primarily in the Middle East, though five remain in service in China, Korea, and the United States.
Modified versions of two Boeing 747 planes will serve as replacements for the White House's Air Force One. The planes are due for delivery in 2024 as part of a $3.9 billion contract. Boeing's 777X, its latest passenger plane model and projected replacement for the 747, is set for delivery in 2025.
Lufthansa Flight 540 was the first fatal crash of a 747. On November 20, 1974, it stalled and crashed moments after taking off from Nairobi, with 59 deaths and 98 survivors.
For some airlines, the A380 offered too much capacity, while for Emirates, the airline can't get enough of the plane. Unfortunately for Emirates (and us passengers), the days of the Airbus A380 are numbered. Airbus stopped A380 production in 2021, as there weren't sufficient orders to keep production going.
Will the Boeing 747 have a future? The final one, delivered to cargo operator Atlas Air in early 2023, marked the end of the 747's production history, though the variant still has a future in the spotlight: two 747-8s are currently being transformed into the next Air Force One planes.
Eight airlines are operating the Airbus A380 during February 2023, led by Emirates Airline which has some 1.9 million available seats onboard the aircraft this month. The Dubai-based carrier has a fleet of 121 A380s, of which 87 are in operation at the present time.
According to data from ch-aviation.com, the oldest active Boeing 747 family aircraft left in the world today is a 747-100SF that flies for the Iranian Air Force. Bearing registration 5-8103, this veteran quadjet is 52.86 years old and flew for TWA from 1970 to 1975 before being converted for usage as a freighter.
Other major 777 incidentsWhile the 777 remains one of the safest aircraft of all time, there have been a few incidents resulting in hull losses and fatalities. On January 17th, 2008, British Airways flight 38 became the first hull loss of the 777 when it crashed just short of Runway 27L at London Heathrow.
The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on March 27, 1977, when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
The Tenerife airport disaster occurred on March 27, 1977, when two Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway at Los Rodeos Airport (now Tenerife North Airport) on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
Currently, the world's biggest international airline has on order 50 A350-900s, 30 787-9s and 115 Boeing 777Xs. The airline operates 119 A380s, 123 Boeing 777-300ERs and 10 Boeing 777-200LRs. The 777X aircraft will replace the A380s, while the A350s and 787s will eventually replace the 777s.