Farewell to the last 747

Boeing / Paul Weatherman

The last assembled Boeing 747, a 747-8F destined for Atlas Air, drew a beautiful farewell message in the sky during its delivery flight.

Delivered on January 31, 2023, the 1574th and last 747 produced by the American aircraft manufacturer (registration N863GT (MSN67150, LN1574 of course) left the Everett facility the next day, heading for the Cincinnati airport. Drawing a message for the flight tracking sites showing the 747 number nicknamed with a crown, in reference to its nickname "Queen of Heaven". The aircraft with its original livery will be operated by Atlas Air under a charter agreement with Kühne-Nagel (a Lufthansa shareholder), which had already taken possession of the penultimate 747 produced on November 23.

A total of 1,574 Boeing 747s have been delivered to more than 100 operators, logging more than 118 million flight hours to date. The aircraft, recognizable by its hump and four engines, has been operated by Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Iran Air, Korean Air, Lufthansa (the latter two still use the 747-8i version), Rossiya Airlines and United Airlines among others. But in its latest version, the cargo version has largely exceeded the sales of the passenger version. The biggest operators of the 747 today are Atlas Air, UPS Airlines and Cargolux.

Nearly 53 years after the first 747 entered service with PanAm, the Jumbo Jets' FAL in Everett stopped on the night of December 6-7, 2022. "For more than half a century, tens of thousands of dedicated Boeing employees have designed and built this magnificent airplane that has truly changed the world. We are proud that this airplane will continue to fly around the world for years to come," said Kim Smith, Boeing vice president and general manager, 747 and 767 programs.

And she's off!

The final 747 took off this morning to join @AtlasAirWW's fleet. #QueenOfTheSkies pic.twitter.com/pZvX9AkKGw

— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) February 1, 2023