Flying into sunset

When Boeing introduced the 747 jumbo jet more than 40 years ago, almost every aspect of the aircraft was unique. It was the largest plane of the day, it covered the longest distance and it marked the start of a new era in aviation. Its upper deck lounge and spiral staircases wowed passengers. Airlines across the world made a beeline to Boeing’s door to get the plane into their fleets.

In the decades that followed, the plane revolutionised travel. It is no surprise that the president of the United States and other heads of state travel in 747s. But, with advances in airline design, fuel efficiency and aviation technology, the jumbo jet has quietly fallen out of favour with the world’s leading airlines and, unless new orders are forthcoming, production is expected to cease in 2017.

While the plane’s days might be numbered, the 747 will always occupy a special place in the history of aviation and the pursuit of intercontinental air travel, a jumbo of a legacy.