The Last 747, Queen of the Skies

The last 747 has rolled off Boeing's production line, but the iconic jumbo jet still has plenty of history to make.

Eric Kulisch

Friday, November 17, 2023 at 12:40 PM ET

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An artist's rendition of the 747-8 freighter version. [Courtesy of Boeing]

Key Takeaways:

Boeing delivered its final 747 jumbo jet to Atlas Air on January 31, 2023, marking the end of its iconic production run but ensuring its continued operation in the skies for decades to come.
The "Queen of the Skies" profoundly transformed air travel by making it accessible to the average person and revolutionized global trade with its unique cargo capabilities and economies of scale.
Originally designed with freight in mind, the 747, especially its modern 747-8 freighter variant, remains a vital component of the global supply chain, with large operators like Atlas Air planning to utilize them for another 30 to 40 years.

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The last 747 has rolled off Boeing’s production line, but the iconic jumbo jet still has plenty of history to make.

Atlas Air took delivery of a 747-8 freighter on January 31, 2023, marking the end of an era for an iconic aircraft that transformed air travel and made it accessible to the average person. From the 747-100 to the 747-400, and then the modern 747-8, The Boeing Company built both passenger and freighter versions, and many used 747s that began in passenger configurations were converted to freighters by third-party engineering firms.