On Wednesday, Atlas Air took delivery of a Boeing 747-8 Freighter. This unit is the second of four new 747-8 Freighters ordered by the company in 2021, which are also the last 747s ever to be produced by Boeing, putting an end to the ‘Queen of the Skies’ assembly line.

Third to last

The US carrier Atlas Air took delivery of a new Boeing 747-8F, registration N861GT, earlier this week, following a flight between Paine Field Airport (PAE) in Everett and Miami International Airport (MIA). This new jetliner is the third to last ever to be produced by Boeing.

Earlier this week, we also learned that the second to last 747 rolled out of Boeing’s factory. Atlas Air will take delivery of the remaining two ‘Queens of the Skies’ this year, and Boeing will put an end to a 54-year history.

Atlas Air’s new 747-8F has been placed under a long-term agreement with an existing customer, according to the company. The 747-8F provides 20% higher payload capacity and 16% lower fuel consumption than the previous version, the 747-400F. John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer at Atlas Air Worldwide, said,

“We are pleased to receive this additional 747-8F, and to add more capacity and value to our customers. Atlas’ investment in these new aircraft underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship through the reduction of aircraft emissions, resource consumption and noise.”

The remaining 747s

In 2020, at the height of the air industry pandemic crisis, Boeing announced it would stop making the classic 747 within the next two years. Atlas Air placed the final order for the iconic model in January 2021, requesting four brand-new 747-8F aircraft, in an order valued at over US$1.6 billion. This order would bring Atlas Air’s 747 fleet to 57 aircraft. The cargo company is already the largest operator of 747 Freighters in the world.

In June 2022, Atlas Air took delivery of the first of these four new 747-8Fs. This plane operates on behalf of the Chinese logistics firm Cainiao, owned by the Alibaba Group. Atlas Air said,

“The iconic Boeing 747 program has been in operation for over 50 years and these aircraft will continue to play a critical role in keeping global supply chains moving for decades to come.”

Boeing confirmed to Simple Flying it expects the remaining two 747s to be delivered this year. Earlier this week, it was reported that the penultimate rollout took place at Paine Airport, Washington. This plane has the registration N862GT. Meanwhile, the final 747 ever to be constructed, registration N863GT, entered final body join on September 29.

According to data by ch-aviation, there are 104 Boeing 747-8F currently worldwide. UPS Airlines has the largest number of these planes, with 28, followed by Cargolux (14), Cathay Pacific (14), AirBridgeCargo (12), and Nippon Cargo Airlines (eight). When talking about the importance of the 747 program, a Boeing spokesperson said,

“The 747 is a transformational airplane that changed the way the world traveled, starting with the first airplane’s rollout in 1969. As the world’s first jumbo jet, the 747 laid the foundation for every twin-aisle commercial airplane that followed and sparked an enduring love for the ‘Queen of the Skies’ among airlines, crews, passengers and ‘avgeeks’ around the world. The team that designed and built the 747 – still known as ‘the Incredibles’ – set a standard of excellence for more than 50 years. While production is ending, we’re looking forward to supporting 747 customers for decades to come.”

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