1. The Boeing 747 was developed in the late 1960s as a solution to the skyrocketing passenger numbers in commercial aviation. The gigantic, partially double-decked, four-engine 747 flew its first flight in 1969.
2. The 747 was the very first wide-body commercial jet airliner and largest passenger plane of its time. In its tightest configuration, the 747 can carry over 600 passengers at a time. The model held the title of the world’s largest passenger plane for over four decades, until the launch of the Airbus 380 in 2007.
3. The front of the Boeing 747 is double-decked, giving the aircraft its distinctive “hump-like” shape. The 747 is considered one of the most recognizable planes in the world. Its main designer was Boeing’s Joe Sutter.
4. The United States’ presidential aircraft, Air Force One, has also been a customized version of the Boeing 747 since the 1990s.
5. Though nowadays the term jumbo jet can sometimes refer to all large wide-body jet engine aircrafts, originally it was specifically reserved for the Boeing 747. The other nickname for the 747 is the poetic Queen of the Skies.
6. It’s been said that the Boeing 747’s size, efficiency and speed revolutionized mass, cheap air travel. It has also been a widely popular cargo aircraft. The only regular route that brings the 747 to Helsinki Airport opened in 2015 and is operated by air cargo company AirBridgeCargo.
7. Throughout the years, a total of over 1500 Boeing 747 aircrafts have been manufactured, and over 570 are still in use. Lately, the classic jumbo jet has been facing hard times. Early in 2016 Boeing announced that it was cutting its production of the giant aircraft by half, as airlines and cargo companies are investing into smaller and more efficient models.
Picture: Elias Hadjari
