Boeing’s last 747 jumbo jet has rolled off the production line from the company’s factory in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, marking an end to the era of the iconic “Queen of the Skies.”
“The final 747-8 freighter model will fly to Portland for painting before Christmas and return to Everett early in the new year,” the Seattle Times reported. “It will undergo standard testing of fuel and other systems and then be inspected by its buyer, the cargo company Atlas Air that purchased Boeing’s last three 747s.”
Photos and videos of the final aircraft, configured in a 747-8 Freighter configuration, exiting the Everett factory at night went viral on social media platform Twitter.
There she goes!
The last 747 has left our Everett factory ahead of delivery to Atlas Air in early 2023. #QueenOfTheSkies
Photos: Boeing/Paul Weatherman pic.twitter.com/duzgr6MzQl
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) December 7, 2022
The last 747 that will be built at Boeing's factory has rolled off the assembly line, ending production of the aircraft after more than 50 years.@timsteno looks back at how the plane changed air travel forever. Read more via @business: https://t.co/hI46UxfaZD pic.twitter.com/w0bhTSnD27
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) December 7, 2022
“For more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees have designed and built this magnificent airplane that has truly changed the world,” Boeing Vice President Kim Smith said in a statement. “We are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come.”
In the statement, Boeing noted “Production of the 747, the world’s first twin-aisle airplane, began in 1967 and spanned 54 years, during which a total of 1,574 airplanes were built.”
“At 250 ft 2 in (76.2 m), the 747-8 is the longest commercial aircraft in service,” Boeing noted. “At typical cruising speeds, the 747-8 travels roughly the length of three FIFA soccer fields or NFL football fields, per second.”
The aerospace giant went on to brag that “Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity.”
The Wall Street Journal reported in 2021 that empty tequila bottles were found on board one of the Boeing 747s being modified to receive the Air Force One designation required to transport US presidents.
At the time, a Boeing spokesman said the incident was a “personnel matter,” and claimed the company is “working to improve quality and manufacturing operations.”
This news and commentary by Gabriel Keane originally appeared on Valiant News.
