Boeing will officially bid farewell to its 747 jumbo jet as it makes its final commercial delivery of the aircraft, ending a production run of more than half a century for the double-decker, four-engine, twin-aisle pioneer that entered service in January 1970.
Thousands of current and former employees will converge on Tuesday afternoon at Boeing's factory in Everett, Washington, for a final sendoff celebration in parallel with the delivery of a Boeing 747-8 cargo plane to Atlas Air.
The move comes as US-based Boeing transitions to two-engine jetliners amid airlines’ push for more fuel-efficient planes.
“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,” said Kim Smith, Boeing's vice president and general manager for the 747 and 767 programmes.
“We are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come.”
Boeing’s “Queen of the Skies” made its debut more than 50 years ago. Passenger versions had a spiral staircase that led to a luxurious upstairs lounge.
Freighter models featured a hinged nose that flipped open to load everything from cars to oil-drilling gear.
50 years of the Boeing 747 — in pictures
The 747 was the largest commercial aircraft in the world until the Airbus A380 came along in 2007 — when it was commercially launched — and set several records.
It was also the first aircraft to have a flatbed seat, pioneered by British Airways in 1999.
Qantas used the jet to fly the world’s first non-stop commercial flight from London to Sydney in 20 hours and nine minutes.
That 30-year record was only broken in 2019, when Qantas operated a 787 Dreamliner from London to Sydney direct in 19 hours and 19 minutes.
However, the final version of the 747 and Europe’s Airbus A380 superjumbo never caught on commercially as airlines turned to twin-engine aircraft and fuel-efficient planes.
The A380 made its maiden flight in 2005 and won over passengers with its audacious scale — its wingspan is wider than a football pitch.
Ultimately, airlines were turned off by its high operating costs. Airbus killed off the programme in 2019.
United and Delta said goodbye to their 747 fleet years before the Covid-19 pandemic struck while Qantas and British Airways grounded their 747s for good in 2020 during the worldwide travel slump.
Meanwhile, the 747 played a key role in Boeing’s history of aerospace leadership, the aircraft maker said.
Production of the 747 began in 1967 and spanned 54 years, during which a total of 1,574 aircraft were built, Boeing said.
The Everett factory was constructed specifically for the jumbo jet in 1967, CNBC reported.
The Boeing 747 made its first transatlantic passenger flight — from New York to London — in May 1970, carrying 350 passengers, a record at the time.
At 76 metres, the 747-8 is the longest commercial aircraft in service.
At typical cruising speeds, it travels roughly the length of three Fifa football fields, or NFL football fields, per second, Boeing said.
The 747-8 freighter model has a revenue payload of 133.1 tonnes, enough to transport 10,699 solid gold bars or about 19 million ping-pong balls or golf balls, it said.
The 747 still serves as Air Force One and two already-assembled planes are undergoing work to be transformed into the next generation of the US presidential jet, according to CNN.
Those planes won’t be delivered for at least four years due to delays.
Boeing hasn’t built a passenger version of the 747 jet since it delivered the last one to Korean Airlines in 2017, CNN said.
Today, there are only 44 passenger versions of the 747 still in service, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. More than half of those — 25 — are flown by Lufthansa.
But there are still 314 Boeing 747 freighters in use, many of which were initially used as passenger jets before being renovated into cargo planes, according to Cirium.
Boeing delivered the first 747 passenger jets in December 1969 to two airlines that no longer exist — TWA and Pan Am, CNN said.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
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Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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