Boeing’s last 747 jumbo jet rolled off its Washington production line on Tuesday, over 50 years after the aircraft came into service.
There she goes!
The last 747 has left our Everett factory ahead of delivery to Atlas Air in early 2023. #QueenOfTheSkies
Photos: Boeing/Paul Weatherman pic.twitter.com/duzgr6MzQl
— Boeing Airplanes (@BoeingAirplanes) December 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,” said Boeing’s Kim Smith, the company's vice president of enviromental and safety matters.
“We are proud that this plane will continue to fly across the globe for years to come,” she added.
Boeing announced in 2021 that it hopes to introduce entirely bio-fuelled aircraft by 2030 as the industry tries to move away from its dependence on fossil fuels.
Engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce successfully tested its first hydrogen-fuelled jet engine in late November, in partnership with low-cost group easyJet, setting the stage for net zero flights.
That same week, Airbus announced plans to fly a hydrogen powered A380 by the mid 2020’s, alongside a refuelling facility at Toulouse’s Blagnac airport.
Though hydrogen is seen as an exciting prospect for aviation, many doubts have been raised about the fuel, including the energy-intensive process required to create it, as well as a lack of infrastructure to carry it to the aircraft.