The aircraft manufacturer Boeing officially announced on Wednesday that it would cease production of its legendary 747 aircraft in 2022, which airlines are gradually withdrawing from their fleets. Launched in 1970, the Boeing "Jumbo Jet" can carry over 600 passengers in certain configurations.
But such a capacity - and the fuel consumption it implies - made it less profitable for companies hit by the drop in air travel since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. "Given the current market dynamics and outlook, we will stop production of the iconic 747 in 2022," aircraft manufacturer general manager David Calhoun said in a message to employees.
Unprecedented commercial success
Born in 1969, at the same time as the Concorde, the 747 is an unprecedented commercial success: a total of 1,571 units have been ordered since the beginning, of which 1,556 have been delivered.
Above all, it has enabled hundreds of millions of travelers to discover the world at affordable rates thanks to the development of "charter" flights, configured in fully economical seats, carrying several hundred passengers at a time to vacation destinations.
But the 747 saw its slow agony accelerate with the coronavirus pandemic which prompted several companies including Qantas, British Airways and Lufthansa to recently announce that they were going to part ways with it. However, Boeing has continued to manufacture 747s for freight transport and military operations until now. The plane can also still count on the support of the President of the United States and his Air Force One since two 747-8, larger, more modern, faster and less greedy in kerosene than the current 747-200, are expected by the White House.