Last 747-8F leaves Paine Field on delivery

Boeing has delivered the final 747 it has produced, closing a chapter in the American jet manufacturer’s legacy with the quad-engine jet affectionately known as “The Queen of the Skies.”

The last delivery is a 747-8F (67150) that left the Boeing plant at Paine Field (PAE) today for a final time to join Atlas Air Worldwide’s fleet of thirteen 747-8Fs and thirty-five 747-400Fs [FAT 008466].

Unit 67150 had its first flight in December 2022 and features the logo of Apex Logistics International, the freight forwarder for which Atlas will operate the aircraft as part of a charter agreement with Apex parent Kuehne+Nagel.

Boeing held a commemorative ceremony at the PAE factory yesterday to celebrate the delivery.

Unit 67150 joins its sister ship, unit 67149, which was delivered in November and is painted with Kuehne+Nagel titles.

Atlas Air had previously expected to receive the final aircraft by the end of 2022 but the delivery was pushed back.

Nearly fifty-four years after the 747 first took to the skies, a number of companies including Aerostan and My Freighter have added 747 Classic airframes to their fleet, and while some airlines have removed older 747s from storage or acquired more -400Fs, others are still holding off on decisions on how to fill the vacuum left by the end of 747 production.

Two competing new-build designs have emerged as successors to the legendary jumbo: Boeing’s 777-8F and the A350F from Airbus.

The competition between the two manufacturers in the production large widebody segment has seen Airbus include a larger cargo door, while Silk Way West Airlines has become the only carrier to order both types so far.

The only other 747-400F operators that are known to have committed to the 777-8F and A350F programs are Singapore Airlines, Cargolux and KLM.

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