Podcast: The Sun Is Setting On The Boeing 747

Aviation Week's resident 747 experts Guy Norris and Jens Flottau discuss why Boeing’s “jumbo jet” still matters and has outlasted predictions made decades ago.

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AI-Generated Summary

This episode looks back at the Boeing 747’s legacy, from its “bet the company” origins to its long afterlife as a cargo workhorse. It also includes Jens Flottau discussing his recent jump-seat flight on a Lufthansa 747 to Tokyo, sharing a firsthand account of the aircraft’s cockpit, long-range capability, four-engine redundancy, and continued appeal to pilots. The discussion explains why the jet still has a place in airline fleets, what made the 747-8 different, and why its future is increasingly tied to freight rather than passengers.

The 747’s four-engine configuration, long range, payload, redundancy, and performance on demanding routes are examined alongside the economic importance of carrying cargo below the passenger cabin. The 747-8 receives particular attention through its revised wing, updated engines, aerodynamic improvements, and efforts to preserve the basic qualities of earlier versions. The conversation compares the 747-8 with the Airbus A380, focusing on their size, engine choices, wing designs, passenger capacity, and cargo potential. 

The episode also considers military and government versions and the declining number of passenger 747s still in service. Its final section examines the future of very large aircraft as airlines increasingly use smaller, long-range twin-engine jets. 

The discussion considers whether another aircraft in the 747 or A380 class is likely to appear, or whether changing route economics, technology, and airline preferences mark the end of the very large widebody era. 

Key Topics:

• The 747’s origins and development
• The aircraft’s upstairs cockpit
• Four engines, range, and redundancy
• Passenger operations and route economics
• The 747-8’s wing and engines
• The 747 compared with the A380
• Freighter and military variants
• The future of very large widebody aircraft