Boeing Considers Ending Production on the 747
Boeing is the world's largest aircraft manufacturer, but not all of its planes are as popular as the rest.
Citing lower-than-expected demand in a regulatory filing, Boeing said decreased orders have put the future of the 747 Jumbo Jet in jeopardy.
It is reasonably possible that we could decide to end production of the 747, the filing states.
The first 747, which also earned the nickname Queen of the Skies, took its maiden flight nearly 50 years ago, ushering in the Golden Age of commercial air travel.
Production of the 747 has already slowed: Boeing produced the aircraft at a rate of 1.5 per month as of June 2015, then reduced that to one per month, and will now reduce the rate to .5 per month ahead of possibly discontinuing it completely.
The plane is still used by major airlines including Air China, Cathay Pacific, and Lufthansa, according to Reuters. And perhaps the most visible Boeing 747 in 2016 is Air Force One.
Boeing is also planning to reduce production of the 777, while increasing production of some of its smaller jets. Airbus, similarly, has had less demand for the wide-body A380.
Melanie Lieberman is the Assistant Digital Editor at Travel + Leisure. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @melanietaryn.
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