On Tuesday, Boeing is delivering its final 747 jumbo jet in Everett, Wash. From its first flight in 1969 to assembling some of the final 747s in 2022, photos show the revolutionary plane over its 54 year production run — which started and will now end in the Puget Sound region.
Since its debut, the 747 has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft. It revolutionized international travel.
But over about the past 15 years, Boeing and its European rival Airbus have introduced more profitable and fuel efficient wide-body planes, with two engines instead of the 747's four. The final plane is the 1,574th built by Boeing in the Puget Sound region of Washington state. It's being delivered to cargo carrier Atlas Air.