Jumbo Jet Plane

In the last 47 years Boeing has delivered more than 1,500 of the 747s to carriers around the globe. The 747 has prevailed in the wide-body segment since its first ever Pan Am business jet on 21 January 1970 and is still the best-selling wide-body aircraft today. As a result, the 747 left a trace of less succesful wide-body challenges from the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, such as the McDonnell Douglas DC-10, its sequel MD11 and the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.

Currently, the only four-engine wide-body survivor capable of competing against the 747 is the double-decker Airbus A380 Super-Jumbo. More than 35 years after the 747's maiden voyage, the A380 came onto the scene. Today the 747 is much different from the 1970' sarket. Boeing has marketed only 45 jumpers in the last eight years - most of them to be used as large cargo ships.

Last week, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said it would reduce its 747 output again to give the programme more working hours. In the past year, the aircraft manufacturer lowered its monthly output from 1.3 to one per year. From September, jumbo jet output will be scaled back to just one every two weeks.

Boeing argues that the reduction in Jumbo output will enable the 747 programme to meet the'short-term commercial demand' for the aircraft. Boeing also said it would accept a $569 million US dollar deficit after it decided to decelerate 747 throughput. Boeing 747's first flown aircraft - known as the City of Everett - is in the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.

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