Boeing to deliver last 747, marking end of first ever ‘jumbo jets’

Boeing will bid farewell to the iconic 747 when it delivers the final plane to Atlas Air on Tuesday afternoon, marking an end of an era when the first-ever “jumbo jet” ruled the skies.

Thousands of Boeing employees – including some of the so-called “Incredibles” who developed the jet in the 1960s – are expected to watch the last delivery of the historic plane, which brought air travel to the masses and represented an indelible slice of Americana.

“It’s a very emotional experience, I know, for so many of the current team and so many that have lineage in the program over the many decades,” said Kim Smith, Boeing’s vice president and general manager for the 747 and 767 programs.