5 min listen
The Last Boeing 747 Rolls Out
ratings:
Length:
4 minutes
Released:
Jan 11, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
The last of 1,574 Boeing 747s has left the company’s Everett, Washington plant, and will be delivered to Atlas Air early next year. That airframe wraps up a remarkable 54 year production program, with the 747 joining the Airbus A380 as the end of four engine wide-body airliner programs. 50 years ago, “Jumbo Jets” were seen as the solution to lower seat mile costs, enabling an entirely new industry, low-cost air travel. However, the relentless drive for lower seat mile costs, combined with high fuel prices, coincided with a change in the airline industry from hub and spoke operations to point-to-point travel using smaller airplanes. 747s will remain in service as a cargo aircraft for some years, but its days as a passenger carrier are numbered.Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End of the Line, Designing the Future, and, Manufacturing the Future.
Released:
Jan 11, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
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