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The Boeing 747, once a mainstay of global air travel, is now a rare sight at airports. Introduced in 1970 with Pan American World Airways as its launch customer, the aircraft was designed to offer affordable long-haul flights by reducing per-seat costs and increasing capacity. Over more than five decades, Boeing delivered 1,573 units from its Everett, Washington facility.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, major airlines such as United Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific centered their international operations around the Boeing 747. The aircraft's large cabin allowed for lower seat-mile costs and supported the development of hub-and-spoke networks. Its four-engine configuration provided operational assurance on long oceanic routes before modern extended-range twin-engine operational performance standards (ETOPS) were introduced.
The Boeing 747 family evolved through several variants to meet changing airline needs. These included the original 747-100, high-cycle models for domestic markets like Japan’s 747SR, and later versions such as the best-selling 747-400 with advanced avionics. The final stretch model, the 747-8, launched in 2005 using GEnx engines and new aerodynamics inspired by the Boeing 787.
