The last ever Boeing 747 to be built was handed over on January 31, 2023, in a ceremony at Paine Field, Washington that was broadcast live on the internet.
The aircraft, N863GT (c/n 67150), was received by Atlas Air, though also sports Apex Logistics titles and is the 1,574th jumbo manufactured.
To mark the occasion, the 747-8F received a special sticker that says ‘Joe Sutter – forever incredible’ – a tribute to the 747’s late chief designer. Boeing employees who designed and built the first example, known as the ‘Incredibles’, were invited to the ceremony held at the Everett factory where the project began in 1967.
Speaking at the event, Stan Deal, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "This monumental day is a testament to the generations of Boeing employees who brought to life the airplane that 'shrank the world’, and revolutionised travel and air cargo as the first widebody. It is fitting to deliver this final 747-8 Freighter to the largest operator of the 747, Atlas Air, where the 'Queen' will continue to inspire and empower innovation in air cargo."
John Dietrich, president and chief executive officer, Atlas Air Worldwide, added: "We are honoured to continue our long history of flying this iconic aircraft for our customers around the world. Atlas Air was founded over 30 years ago with a single 747-200 converted freighter, and since then, we have spanned the globe operating nearly every [variant] of the 747, including the Dreamlifter, Boeing's 747 Large Cargo Freighter, for the transport of 787 Dreamliner parts. We are grateful to Boeing for their shared commitment to safety, quality, innovation and the environment, and for their partnership to ensure the continued success of the 747 programme as we operate the aircraft for decades to come."
In total, Boeing has manufactured 205 747-100s, 45 SPs, 393 747-200s, 81 747-300s, 694 747-400s and 155 747-8s covering all variants and military derivatives.
| Boeing 747 statistics | |
|---|---|
| Deliveries by role | |
| Passenger (including passenger/freight combi) | 1200 |
| Freight / cargo | 341 |
| VIP / Head of State / Government | 23 |
| Special roles (including military) | 9 |
| Top 10 747 operators in history (including wet leases) | |
| Atlas Air | 111 |
| Japan Airlines | 109 |
| British Airways | 103 |
| Air Atlanta Icelandic | 100 |
| Singapore Airlines | 95 |
| United Airlines | 90 |
| Korean Air | 87 |
| Lufthansa | 83 |
| Cathay Pacific | 83 |
| Kalitta Air | 76 |
| Boeing 747 deliveries by region | |
| Asia Pacific | 689 |
| Europe | 421 |
| North America | 329 |
| Middle East | 83 |
| Africa | 32 |
| Latin America | 19 |
| Boeing 747 new deliveries by engine manufacturer | |
| GE | 637 |
| Pratt & Whitney | 737 |
| Rolls-Royce | 199 |
| *All data supplied by aviation analytics firm Cirium | |
The final 747 was rolled out on December 6 and undertook its maiden flight on December 18. After some test flights the jet flew to Portland International Airport in Oregon on December 22 for painting and returned to Paine Field on January 10, 2023.
Boeing 747-8F, N863GT, is the last of 17 of this variant that was ordered for Atlas Air and its subsidiaries.
