Boeing's last commercial 747 is set to be delivered today, more than 50 years after the iconic plane helped change air travel forever.
The last "Queen of the Skies," as they're sometimes called, is a freighter variant made for cargo operator Atlas Air.The 747 — the world's first twin-aisle passenger jet — came to symbolize the era in which mass travel by air became not just possible, but commonplace.
Yet advances in airplane design and engine technology eventually led airlines to favor more efficient twin-engine designs, like Boeing's 777 and Airbus' A350."On the ground, it's stately, it's imposing," Iron Maiden lead signer and — fun fact! — 747 pilot Bruce Dickinson toldThe 747 isn't disappearing from the wild blue yonder anytime soon.
Germany's Lufthansa and South Korea's Korean Air both still offer 747 passenger service — though many other airlines, like British Airways and KLM, have retired their fleets.
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