Happy Birthday B747

[drron]

The grand old plane turns 40 today.
Forty years on, it's all downhill for the jumbo

 

[docjames]

Bit of a negative story. Pity Boeing arent celebrating publically, but i guess it invites too many negative questions.

Things still arent looking great for the -8 pax version, but they could still go ahead on the orders they've got for the freighter, it wont cost that much more to do the luftansa order. Whether they get any more well.......

 

[JohnK]

Air travel has certainly come a long way in 40 years. It is a shame that more orders have not been put in for the 747-800 but at least the 747-400s will still be around for another 10 years....

 

[Nigelinoz]

I firmly believe that that the 747 is one of the finest aircraft ever produced,I accept that the design may be getting a bit long in the tooth
but I think the phrase "Oldie but a goodie" applies very well.

 

[Paul_PER]

I too thought the report was a bit on the negative side. Some considerations:

• The 747-8 will cost about US $1 to 2 billion to develop. The A380 has been costed at up to US $20 billion.
• The A380 has been outselling the 747-8 at a little more than two-to-one
• At the above ratios the Boeing is going to breakeven a lot faster than the Airbus
• The 747-8 freighter has basically killed (or deferred for long time) the A380F
• The mere offering of the 747-8 passenger version has mean't that Airbus hasn't been able to charge a super-premium on the A380

Selling freighters certainly lacks the glamour of selling passenger aircraft but from a financial point of view Boeing hasn't made too bad a stratgeic choice.


I would suspect that there wasn't a large 40th birthday party because it would look bad on several fronts:

1. Anyone showing excess in the US during the GFC
2. The fact that the 747-8 is late
3. Advertising to airline passengers that their aircraft is figuratively speaking 40 years old!

 

[codash1099]

The 747 is still young when compared with the 737, which was derived from the 707.