January 22, 2025, marks a significant milestone in aviation history: the 55th anniversary of the first commercial flight of the Boeing 747. This iconic jumbo jet, often dubbed the “Queen of the Skies,” revolutionized air travel and continues to grace the skies even today. You might be wondering, are 747s still flying? The answer is a resounding yes. While many airlines have retired their 747 fleets in favor of more fuel-efficient models, a surprising number are still operational, carrying passengers and cargo across the globe.
Alt text: A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 aircraft gracefully descends for landing at Mexico City International Airport, concluding its long-haul flight from Frankfurt.
The Boeing 747’s inaugural commercial journey took place on January 22, 1970. Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) operated the historic flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). This groundbreaking flight carried 335 passengers and 20 crew members, ushering in a new era of mass air travel. Interestingly, the first flight experienced a minor setback. Originally scheduled for January 21, it was delayed due to a technical issue – an engine failure. Boeing quickly substituted the aircraft with another, christened “Clipper Young America,” which finally departed on January 22 at 1:52 AM Eastern Time. Historical accounts and videos even show passengers in that era casually enjoying cigarettes onboard, a stark contrast to today’s flight regulations.
The development of the 747 was a bold and ambitious undertaking for Boeing. Their earlier 707 model had already established Boeing as a leader in jet airliners, successfully connecting continents. However, the 707’s capacity, accommodating 140 to 189 passengers with a range of 5,700 miles, began to seem limited as air travel became more accessible to the masses.
Boeing recognized the burgeoning demand from middle-class American tourists eager to explore Europe and international travelers wanting to visit the USA. The core selling point of the 747 to airlines was its promise of significantly reduced per-seat operating costs, making air travel more economical for both airlines and passengers.
Alt text: A historical black and white photograph captures the aircrew of Pan American’s inaugural Boeing 747 commercial flight from New York to London in January 1970, marking a pivotal moment in aviation history.
The resulting 747 design was revolutionary. It effectively doubled the passenger capacity of previous aircraft while extending the range to over 6,000 miles. The original Boeing 747-100 was the first true wide-body aircraft, offering a spacious cabin with two aisles. In a typical three-class configuration, it could seat 366 passengers, but configurations could vary, pushing maximum capacity to between 440 and 550.
The 747 was not only larger but also introduced innovations like twin aisles and the iconic upper deck “hump,” accessed by a spiral staircase. This upper deck became legendary, housing luxurious First-Class lounges on many airlines. These lounges gained colorful nicknames, such as the “Tea House in the Sky” on Japan Airlines, the “Red Carpet Room” on United Airlines, the “Penthouse Lounge” on TWA, and the “International Lounge” on Braniff. Some airlines even featured piano bars on their 747s, adding to the glamour of air travel.
Pan Am played a crucial role in launching the 747, placing the initial order. A pivotal meeting in December 1965 between Boeing President William Allen and Pan Am President Juan Trippe solidified the deal. The anecdote from Northwestern University Library highlights the simple yet impactful exchange:
Trippe: “If you’ll build it, I’ll buy it.”
Allen: “If you buy it, I’ll build it.”
This agreement, finalized in April 1966, saw Pan Am commit to purchasing 25 Boeing 747s at $20 million each. The 747 went on to become a resounding success, with 1,574 aircraft built in total. A testament to its enduring design is that over 400 Boeing 747s remain in service today, decades after its inception.
Alt text: A vintage photograph from 1969 shows the first Boeing 747, adorned with Pan Am livery, rolling off the production line in Everett, Washington, towering over a Pan Am Boeing 707 in the foreground, emphasizing the 747’s massive scale.
The final passenger version, the Boeing 747-8, was manufactured until 2023. This advanced model could accommodate up to 467 passengers in a three-class configuration or a staggering 660 in an all-economy layout. Its range also increased significantly to 9,300 nautical miles. Naturally, the price also escalated. While Juan Trippe secured the original 747s for $20 million each, the 747-8 reportedly carried a price tag of $418 million, although its value has since depreciated. In a recent transaction, Korean Air sold five 747-8 aircraft for a total of $678 million.
Many of the iconic airlines that once operated the 747, such as Pan Am, TWA, Braniff, Northwest, and Continental, are no longer flying. While American passenger airlines have retired the 747, the “Queen of the Skies” continues to serve.
Interestingly, your packages might have a higher chance of flying on a 747 than you do. Cargo operators like UPS and Atlas Air heavily rely on the 747 for international freight transport. However, for those in the U.S. eager to experience passenger flight on a Boeing 747, opportunities still exist, albeit limited, even 55 years after its commercial debut.
If you are keen on flying as a passenger on a Boeing 747, this year might be your best chance, as airlines continue to modernize their fleets. The last passenger 747-8 was delivered to Korean Air in 2017, marking the end of an era for passenger production. While Air Force One, used by the U.S. President, is a late-model Boeing 747, options for regular passengers are becoming increasingly scarce.
Alt text: An Air China Boeing 747-8, known as the “Queen of the Skies,” elegantly approaches for landing at New York JFK International Airport in January 2020, showcasing the airline’s flagship aircraft.
Currently, only four scheduled airlines still operate the Boeing 747 for passenger services: Lufthansa, Korean Air, Air China, and Rossiya Airlines. Lufthansa boasts the largest passenger 747 fleet with 27 aircraft, including 19 of the advanced 747-8 models. Korean Air operates 10 747-8s, and Air China has seven. Rossiya Airlines utilizes older 747-400 models.
Korean Air is reportedly phasing out its longest 747 route, the 7,200-mile flight from Seoul to Atlanta, in March 2025. The more fuel-efficient Boeing 777-300ER will replace the 747-8 on this route. While Korean Air will continue to deploy 747s to destinations like New York, Singapore, and Los Angeles, the airline plans to retire these iconic aircraft by 2031, or possibly sooner. Korean Air has already taken steps in this direction, agreeing last year to sell five of its 747-8s to Sierra Nevada Corporation, a U.S. aerospace firm. These aircraft are destined to be repurposed for military applications, specifically for the U.S. Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch program, also known as the “Doomsday plane” – a command-and-control center designed to withstand extreme scenarios.
Korean Air’s history with the 747 spans back to 1973, carrying millions of passengers across vast distances. Tragically, one Korean Air 747, Flight 007, was shot down by a Soviet missile in 1983, resulting in the loss of 269 lives. This somber event underscores the ongoing risks associated with air travel in certain geopolitical contexts.
Air China maintains a fleet of nine 747s and has scheduled over 4,000 flights for 2025. The majority of these are domestic routes within China, such as the busy Beijing-Shanghai and Shenzhen routes. However, Air China also operates a prestigious international 747-8 route: a non-stop service between Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) and New York JFK, four times a week.
Alt text: A U.S. Air Force E-4B Nightwatch airborne command post aircraft is shown being refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker, highlighting the military adaptation of the Boeing 747 airframe.
Rossiya Airlines has scheduled over 700 747 flights in 2025, but their routes are confined to Russia, connecting Moscow with far eastern destinations like Sochi, Khabarovsk Novy, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Western travelers might hesitate to choose Rossiya for a 747 experience due to travel restrictions to Moscow, safety concerns related to geopolitical instability, and international sanctions affecting Russian aviation. Reports indicate a rise in flight safety incidents in Russia since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, and concerns exist about the sourcing of aircraft parts.
Lufthansa, in contrast, has a long and distinguished history with the Boeing 747, even predating Korean Air. The German flag carrier received its first 747 on April 26, 1970, and is also celebrating 55 years of 747 operations in 2025. With 27 Boeing 747s in its fleet, Lufthansa is currently the world’s largest passenger operator of the aircraft.
Lufthansa offers 747 service from its Frankfurt hub to numerous international destinations, including New York, Washington-Dulles, Miami, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Shanghai, and Singapore. For aviation enthusiasts and travelers seeking to fly on a Boeing 747, Lufthansa presents arguably the best and most accessible option for a first – or perhaps a final – flight on this magnificent aircraft.
Alt text: A Korean Air Boeing 747-8 passenger aircraft is pictured at JFK International Airport in New York, poised for takeoff to Seoul, with the iconic Manhattan skyline visible in the background.
In conclusion, are 747s still flying? Absolutely. Despite the increasing age of the design and the push towards more efficient aircraft, the Boeing 747 continues to operate in passenger and cargo service. While passenger options are becoming limited, airlines like Lufthansa, Air China, and Korean Air still offer opportunities to experience the “Queen of the Skies.” As we celebrate 55 years of this remarkable aircraft, it’s clear that the Boeing 747 has left an indelible mark on aviation history and continues to capture the imagination of travelers worldwide.
