Boeing (NYSE: BA) rolled out one of the last 747s to be built at its Everett, Washington, factory this week—54 years after the first “queen of the skies” rolled out from the same building and plant at Paine Field (KPAE). The legacy jumbo jet undoubtedly transformed Boeing’s business while inspiring pilots and catalyzing the wider travel industry.
The 747-8 freighter with the registration N862GT is the second to last 747 being built and will be followed only by the N863GT, now in assembly. The last three 747s produced will go to major cargo carrier Atlas Air (NASDAQ: AAWW), which already has more than 50 747s in service.
The 747 nearly bankrupted Boeing’s business when the OEM decided to build the jet in the 1960s at the request of then industry-leading airline Pan Am. The first 747 flew in February 1969 and evolved into several variants, serving operators worldwide. Altogether, when Boeing completes its last unit currently on the assembly line, it will have built more than 1,570 examples of the iconic jumbo jet.
