Boeing 747-400

By Guy Norris
Stratolaunch conducted a second captive carry of the company’s Talon TA-1 hypersonic test vehicle on Feb. 24.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Helen Massy-Beresford
Challenge Group's purchase of another Boeing 747-400F comes at a time of conflicting trends in the air cargo industry.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Adrian Schofield
Airlines including Cebu Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways and Cathay Pacific are planning to place major orders.
Singapore Airshow

By Guy Norris
The Boeing 747-400 will work in conjunction with Stratolaunch’s Roc carrier aircraft to conduct air launches for hypersonic tests in multiple U.S. locations.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
The Taiwan flag-carrier said the deal will be finalized “in the near future.”
Airlines & Lessors

By Alan Dron
Emirates SkyCargo has leased two Boeing 747-400F freighters as it starts moving toward its goal of doubling capacity over the next decade.
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
A 2021 Boeing 747 engine failure was caused by an issue flagged by Pratt & Whitney, but its recommended fix was not mandated, a Dutch safety board found.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Sean Broderick
An engine failure aboard a Longtail Aviation Boeing 747-400 spotlights the importance of keeping records on service-bulletin implementations.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Guy Norris, Joe Anselmo
The leader of bankrupt space company Virgin Orbit says it is seeing active interest from a “diverse group” of potential buyers.
Commercial Space

By Sean Broderick
The FAA’s phased upgrade aligns with voluntary delays put in place by wireless companies.
Maintenance & Training

By Karen Walker, Guy Norris, Chris Sloan
Aviation Week editors talk about being at the delivery ceremony of the last Boeing 747 and why it is such an important aircraft.
Air Transport

By Guy Norris
The program’s termination comes after years of dwindling sales, the development of the twin-engined 777X, and the pandemic, which took a toll on widebodies.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris, Jens Flottau
Listen in as Aviation Week editors reflect on the 747's beginning and its legacy.
Check 6

Aviation Week published a four-page photo spread of the 747 rollout in 1968, along with a glowing editorial about the new jet.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
As the last Boeing 747-8 leaves its birthplace, Aviation Week looks at how design features of the first widebody have shaped and influenced the industry.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
Boeing has staged the left wing for the last 747-8F freighter onto the production line at Everett, Washington, marking the build-up for the aircraft’s final assembly process and close out of the historic 747 line later in 2022.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Chen Chuanren
Korean Air and Seoul National University have been commissioned by the Republic of Korea Air Force to explore using the Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft for an air launch system, similar to Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne.
Space

By Chen Chuanren
China Airlines ceased Boeing 747-400 operations on March 20 following a farewell flight over Japan, retiring the type after 28 years of service.
Airlines & Lessors

By Victoria Moores
UK long-haul carrier Virgin Atlantic is expecting to perform its final Boeing 747 flight on Dec. 16 and has announced plans to resume operations from Manchester, England, on Dec. 5 after a nine-month break.
Airlines & Lessors

By Chen Chuanren
Thai Airways has put a total of 34 aircraft up for sale, including all of its Boeing 747-400, 777-200 and 777-300, as the flag-carrier turns to more fuel-efficient aircraft for the handful of international flights it now operates.
Airlines & Lessors

By Sean Broderick
Boeing is working on updating 747 flight computer software to eliminate an issue introduced in the software’s most recent version that causes both of the aircraft’s computers to reset in-flight.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Kurt Hofmann
International Airlines Group (IAG) has phased out the last of Iberia’s Airbus A340s and begun retiring British Airways’ (BA) entire Boeing 747-400 fleet, the group reported Aug. 17.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Sean Broderick
Boeing has updated a 747-400 non-normal checklist following evidence from a UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) report that showed a British Airways (BA) crew confused by its verbiage initiated an unneeded stall-recovery procedure while troubleshooting an issue.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

By Ben Goldstein
Atlas Air will park four Boeing 747-400 converted freighters this year and return a fifth to a lessor, moves intended to counteract falling yields and utilization rates caused by softening macroeconomic trends.
Air Transport