Boeing is delivering its final 747 jumbo jet on Tuesday after a ceremony at the company’s factory in Washington state.
The jet has served as a cargo plane, a commercial aircraft capable of carrying nearly 500 passengers, transport for NASA's space shuttles and the Air Force One presidential aircraft since it first took flight in 1969. It revolutionized travel by connecting international cities that never had direct routes, while also helping to democratize passenger flight.
The last U.S. airline to use the 747 for passenger flights was Delta, which stopped using the jets in 2017. Other international carriers, including the German airline Lufthansa, continue to fly the plane. Atlas Air ordered four 747-8 freighters in early 2022, and the final one leaves the factory on Tuesday.