Is the 747 obsolete?
Chloe Ramirez
Updated on April 23, 2026
The Boeing 747 is a four-engine airliner, first produced in 1968. It has been in service for over 47 years since January 22, 1970. Right now, the 747 is quickly being retired from passenger service, but it will likely remain in service as cargo planes for a while.
Then, is the 747 being phased out?
The Boeing 747 is an American wide-body, long–range, commercial jet airliner and cargo aircraft. Though the 747 was expected to become obsolete after 400 were sold, production passed 1,000 in 1993. By June 2019, 1,554 aircraft had been built, with 20 of the 747-8 variants remaining on order.
Additionally, how many 747 are still flying? There were 533 Boeing 747 aircraft in airline service as of January 2020, comprising 10 747-100s, 20 747-200s, 3 747-300s, 363 747-400s and 137 747-8s. These aircraft are listed by airline operator and variant in the following table.
Subsequently, one may also ask, are 747 still used?
The aircraft will remain in the sky's for many years to come, albeit as a much more rare sight, with the most recent version, the 747-8 still having many more years to fly. Airlines such as British Airways, who run the largest remaining passenger fleet of 747s still intend to operate theirs until 2024.
Why was Boeing 747 discontinued?
Boeing recently removed three 747-8s from its ledger that were originally bound for Russian airline Transaero. That airline went bust in October 2015. Two of the three planes it had had ordered were built by Boeing but never delivered. Those aircraft are now in storage and it's not clear where they'll end up.
Related Question Answers
What is the oldest 747 still flying?
747-200. N303TW (20116/112) is the oldest -200 model still in existence at the time of writing. It is stored at Victorville, CA, and interestingly has the older style of three windows on the upper deck which was increased with later -200s.Can a passenger jet do a barrel roll?
4 Answers. Yes, it has been done before in an even larger aircraft, the Boeing 367-80, very famously by "Tex" Johnston on August 7, 1955. When a barrel roll maneuver is properly performed the aircraft remains in a positive-G state, so no "inverted flight" is experienced by the aircraft.Is a 747 hard to fly?
The 747, for most airline pilots, is pretty much like any other aircraft to fly once you have adapted to the height of the flight deck above the ground. You must learn to flare the aircraft for landing at what initially appears to be too high an altitude. Not any more difficult than most other commercial aircraft.How many Airbus a380 have crashed?
The MD 80 has the highest number of passenger fatalities although the Boeing 737 (CFMI) follows closely with 1049 fatalities.The Most Popular Airliners Worldwide.
| Aircraft Type | Airbus A330 |
|---|---|
| Total number currently operating | 709 |
| Fatal accidents to passengers | 3 |
| Total passenger fatalities | 454 |
Is 747 still safe?
The 747 has always been a safe and reliable aircraft , very well designed with plenty of back up systems if required.Who still flies the 747?
Caspian Airlines bought it in 2018. The oldest 747 still flying ordinary punters is owned by Iran's Mahan Air. It first flew in 1986 and has been on Mahan's books since 2007. The majority of BA's active jumbos are far newer.Where do planes go when they retire?
An aircraft boneyard (American English) or aircraft graveyard (British English) is a storage area for aircraft that are retired from service. Most aircraft at boneyards are either kept for storage with some maintenance or have their parts removed for reuse or resale and are then scrapped.What is replacing the 747?
The Boeing 777X was unveiled on March 13 in a private, employees-only event. The 777X is destined to serve as Boeing's new flagship and replace the iconic 747 jumbo jet.Why does 747 have a hump?
To make room for the cockpit, and to keep the plane maximally aerodynamic, there had to be a hump. Later versions of the 747 extended the hump farther back and made room for more first-class seats.Which is bigger 747 or a380?
Accordingly, it built a plane that was significantly larger than the only other jumbo jet on the market, Boeing's 747. Airbus markets the A380 with a standard configuration holding 525 passengers in three classes. Both jumbo jets are significantly larger than the Boeing 777-300ER, the next-largest plane in production.How much does a 747 cost?
The first 747-100 from Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) was put into service in 1970, and those first planes sold at a list price of $24 million. Adjusting for inflation, that same 747 would sell today for $147.1 million. A new 747-8 passenger jet now lists for $367.8 million and the freighter version at $368.4 million.What is the safest airplane in the world?
The 737-700/-800/-900 models are very reliable. These models have a 0.06 fatal crash rate per million flights.These models currently have a clean flight record and all tie for being the safest airplane:
- Airbus: A220, A319neo, A320neo, A321neo, A340, A350 and A380.
- Boeing: 717, 747-8 and 787.
- Embraer: 135, 140 and 145.
