The emotionally charged decision was formalized by Boeing. "We anticipate the complete cessation of manufacturing of the iconic 747 in 2022, " said David Calhoun, CEO of the American giant, on Wednesday, commenting on the results for the first half of 2020. He is the 11th CEO of Boeing since its creation in 1916, to close a glorious page in the history of aviation. The first jumbo on the market, the 747, nicknamed "the Queen of the sky", has democratized access to the plane by carrying more than 6 billion passengers since its entry into service in 1970. And has become the symbol of growth air traffic since the 1970s. The 747 has the luxury to bow out a year after the Airbus A380, the European super-jumbo, whose production will cease in 2021.
Read also: Boeing will cease production of the legendary "Jumbo Jet" 747 in 2022
The Covid-19 epidemic has precipitated the end of these very large planes with more than 500 seats, which have become too difficult to fill, too expensive to operate and too much fuel-intensive with their four engines, in air markets on a sustainable basis.
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