Boeing just announced the definitive end of the legendary 747 as cargo giant Atlas Air places an order for the final 4 planes

Boeing just announced the definitive end of the legendary 747 as cargo giant Atlas Air places an order for the final 4 planes

Atlas Air on Tuesday announced a four-aircraft order for the Boeing 747-8F, the largest mass-produced freighter from the American aircraft manufacturer. 

Boeing said that these will be the last 747 ever built as the program comes to a close after a half-century.

Demand for cargo planes has skyrocketed during the pandemic and the 747 provided the one thing most freighters could not with its nose loading door. 

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Atlas Air announced an order for brand-new Boeing 747-8F aircraft on Tuesday as cargo demand continues to surge during the pandemic. The four aircraft order valued at over $1.6 billion based on current list prices will grow Atlas' 747 fleet to 57 aircraft and further solidify the cargo carrier as the largest operator of 747 Freighters in the world.

The 747-8F is the largest freighter to be produced by Boeing, based on the 747-8i passenger jet which proved to be a flop despite a successful past for the aircraft family. Boeing debuted the first 747 in 1969 and while once a status symbol for the world's airlines, the aircraft proved obsolete in the modern era once the focus shifted to fuel-efficient twin-engine jets that could fly just as far.  

Boeing announced