With the 747-8 being less than desireable among airlines, do you guys think the jumbo has any future for passenger service?
Here’s some info:
The 747 was introduced in 1970 with Pan Am airways offering a new luxury and glamour to flight. This double decker jumbo jet could travel long distances never imagined before and was a popular choice among travelers. The 747-400, boeings most popular version introduced in 1988 is currently operated for long haul routes with airlines like British airways and united. But with the introduction of fuel efficient and eco friendly aircraft like the 787 and 777 the 747 has lost its standing amongst airlines.
The 747 is no longer viable
Why? The 747-400 costs around 236 million a unit and carries passengers around 7600 miles (14,000 kilometers) while the 777-300ER costs 320 million while going about 1000 kilometers further. Compared to the fuel-guzzling 747 there’s no debate which is the better option for airlines. The 747 takes up lots of space, lots of fuel, and overall is less efficient than its newer counterparts.
The 747 has no place in modern passenger service which is why many airlines are retiring the aircraft including united who has pushed up their service retirement to the end of this year. So if there’s no use for it in the passenger industry, where does it fit? Cargo.
If there’s anything the 747 is it’s big, and powerful. The 747-400F can carry 248,600 pounds and with it’s massive range is a great choice for moving cargo. With the 747-8 being a failure among airlines, boeings only hope to save it is cargo. It’s been a great couple decades but it’s time to leave the 747 behind.
I hope you enjoyed reading this informative post, if there’s any errors I’d be happy to correct them. Also discuss your thoughts about the 747 in the comments :)
Sadly no, the B777-300ER when it was launched spelled the end for the 747. And now, with the 777X being larger than the 77W, Boeing has cannibalized whatever possibility there was of more 747-8 sales, not to mention that Airbus has the A350-900, the larger A350-1000, and the whale jet, which is also pretty much dead at this point also, to go against the 747/777.
The A380 is the better aircraft so already it’s disadvantaged. Secondly airlines want planes like the A350 or the B77W as they can have more flights a day rather then just one making them flexible for passengers. The B747-8 sold alright, likely enough to recuperate the costs associated with it so I guess it’s just time to focus on there best selling aircraft.
Short answer no. Long answer, two engines will always burn less fuel than 4. With the ability of a single GE90 to produce enough thrust for a 747 to stay afloat, the 747 is dead. The only necessity it will have in the future is as a cargo jet, unfortunately Boeing made the 747-8i and 8f different in layout so the whole conversion possibility is not strong. The 744 will live on long enough as a cargo jet and same with the 747-8F but the 747-8i is already about 7 years away from beginning early retirement
Lufthansa and British Airways are the only two airlines that are keeping this aircraft alive in the passanger department, although the A380 is much better. The 747 is truly the best cargo aircraft because of its nose design, when the 747 was introuduced they belived it would be a freight plane meanwhile boeing would make a super sonic aircraft. That failed and the 747 succeeded but its an old airliner now, and is innificient for passanger hauling and is more of a freight hauler. That is the 747’s future.
No chance. The queen of the skies is dying. Thankfully, cargo airlines would love to convert some of those used 747s, so there is still a lot of runway left for the 747.
I think the 747 can be used on maybe a couple routes. But I can’t see more than maybe 20 or 25 in service in the future. That’s if Boeing decides to create a more efficient version of the 748.
I think that the 747-8 may have a slightly extended future if they agreed to make a combi version as KLM has asked Boeing earlier but they said no as of now
The launch of the 777-300ER was the beginning of the end for the 747 as a passenger hauler. As for the 747 as a freighter, it will continue to fly well into the future.
Unfortunately, the answer is no for passenger service as new aircrafts such as 777, A350, and 787 are deemed to be more viable than 747 or A380 as they aren’t fuel efficient as they have to use 4 engines. Nowadays, airlines prefer more frequencies compared to capacity as its deemed to be a more flexible choice for travellers. That’s why airliners like 787 and A350 are slowly cannibalizing their older sisters.
However unlike A380, 747 still have a bright future for airlines for freight routes. As we have seen a rise of the numbers of cargo demand despite the falling demand of passengers this year
So I think 747 won’t dissapear in near future as many airlines still uses 747F as one of their freight backbones (Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo, etc). Especially as the cargo industry has shown a sign of growth in the upcoming years
Boeing does have the contract to build the next air force one so remember that. Technically the 747-8i is dead for commercial airlines. I don’t see an airline ordering the 8i as commercial airlines like 2 engine planes, not 4. Emirates is taking less and less deliveries of the A380 and most airlines have finished their orders.
Cargo however, the 747-8 is a success. It’s big, long, fuel efficient. UPS, Cathay Pacific, Cargolux etc love them. Some airlines also have the 777F but the 747-8 does hold more. More freighters will be ordered. Once Boeing brings down the price then who knows what will happen.
