747 Timeline

Model chronology

First order through to last delivery for each production variant.

Model	First order	Rollout	First flight	Certification	First delivery	In service	First airline	Last delivery	Last airline
747-100/SR/B	04/13/66	09/30/68	02/09/69	12/30/69	12/13/69	01/21/70	Pan Am	9/86	Japan Air Lines
747-200	12/19/68	09/10/70	10/11/70	12/23/70	01/15/71	06/71	KLM	12/90	USAF
747-200F	03/03/69	11/23/71	11/30/71	03/07/72	03/10/72	04/19/72	Lufthansa	11/91	Nippon Cargo
747-200C	03/27/72	02/28/73	03/23/73	04/24/73	04/30/73	05/73	World Airways	9/88	Martinair
747SP	09/10/73	05/19/75	07/04/75	02/04/76	03/05/76	04/25/76	Pan Am	12/09/89	Abu Dhabi Govt. (UAE)
747-200M	04/08/74	10/30/74	11/18/74	03/07/75	03/07/75	03/07/75	Air Canada	12/09/89	Abu Dhabi Govt. (UAE)
747-300M	06/11/80	01/14/83	02/14/83	03/05/83	03/05/83	03/83	Swissair	9/90	Sabena
747-300/SR	06/11/80	09/21/82	10/05/82	03/07/83	03/01/83	(to UTA)	03/28/83	Swissair	10/88
747-400	10/22/85	01/26/88	04/29/88	01/10/89	01/26/89	02/09/89	Northwest	—	—
747-400M	04/09/86	03/23/89	06/30/89	01/10/89	09/01/89	09/89	KLM	04/10/02	KLM
747-400D	12/18/88	02/18/91	03/18/91	10/10/91	10/10/91	10/91	Japan Air Lines	12/95	All Nippon Airways
747-400F	09/13/89	03/08/93	05/04/93	10/22/93	11/17/93	11/17/93	Cargolux	5/7/09	Nippon Cargo Airlines
747-400ER	12/19/00	06/17/02	07/31/02	10/29/02	10/31/02	11/07/02	Qantas	7/30/03	Qantas
747-400ERF	04/17/01	09/05/02	09/02	10/16/02	10/17/02	10/02	Air France	11/10/09	LoadAir Cargo
747-8F	11/14/05	11/12/09	2/8/10	08/19/11	10/12/11	10/16/11	Cargolux	01/31/23	Atlas Air
747-8	12/6/06	02/13/11	03/20/11	12/14/11	05/05/12	06/01/12	Lufthansa	—	—

Chronology

Jan. 31, 2023
Boeing delivers the final 747 ever built, a 747-8 Freighter registered N863GT, to Atlas Air. Total production: 1,574 aircraft over 54 years.

Dec. 6, 2022
The last 747 rolls out of the Everett factory.

July 2020
British Airways and Qantas retire their 747 fleets, both bringing planned retirements forward.

June 1, 2012
Lufthansa places the 747-8 Intercontinental into scheduled service.

May 5, 2012
First 747-8 Intercontinental delivered, to Lufthansa.

Oct. 12, 2011
First 747-8 Freighter delivered, to Cargolux.

March 20, 2011
First flight of the 747-8 Intercontinental

Feb. 8, 2010
First flight of the 747-8 Freighter

Aug. 8, 2008
Boeing starts major assembly of the first 747-8 Freighter

Feb. 28, 2008
Boeing delivers 1,400th 747 to GECAS for lease to AirBridgeCargo Airlines

Nov. 7, 2007
Boeing completes firm configuration for 747-8 Intercontinental

March 10, 2007
Orders for Boeing 747 surpass 1,500

Dec. 6, 2006
Lufthansa becomes first airline to order 747-8 Intercontinental

Oct. 31, 2006
Boeing completes firm configuration for 747-8 Freighter

November 14, 2005
Boeing launches the 747-8 Family – the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airplane and the 747-8 Freighter – with orders from Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines.

October 31, 2002
Delivery of first 747-400ER passenger version to Qantas Airways.

October 17, 2002
Delivery of first 747-400ER freighter to Air France (financed by International Finance Lease Corporation).

July 31, 2002
First flight of the 747-400ER begins a three-month flight test program that will culminate with certification and delivery to launch customer Qantas Airways.

June 17, 2002
Thousands of Boeing employees gather in the world’s largest building to celebrate rollout of the first 747-400ER.

February 11, 2002
Boeing workers load the 747’s forward section floor grid into an assembly tool, marking the start of major assembly for the 747-400ER.

December 18, 2001
Boeing engineers complete 90 percent of the design work for both the passenger and freighter versions of the new Longer-Range 747-400 family of airplanes.

April 30, 2001
Boeing launches second member of its Longer-Range 747-400 Family – the 747-400ER Freighter – with an order from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).

December 14, 2000
Factory rollout of China Airlines 747-400 Freighter, 2000’s 15th 747-400 Freighter, a new single-year record.

November 28, 2000
Boeing launches newest member of the 747 Family, the Longer-Range 747-400, with an order from Australia’s Qantas Airways.

November 15, 1999
U.S. Postal Service unveils 747 postage stamp, which Boeing places on its factory doors: world’s largest stamp on world’s largest building that produces world’s largest commercial airplane.

August 10, 1999
Major assembly begins on first 747-400 Freighter to be used as platform for U.S. Air Force’s Airborne Laser program.

April 22, 1999
United Airlines takes delivery of its 75th 747.

February 17, 1999
Boeing delivers 1,200th 747, a 747-400 to British Airways.

February 15, 1999
Boeing celebrates completion of digitizing the 747 fuselage and utilizing new fuselage tooling, a four-year effort that results in simplified airplane assembly and improved quality.

November 19, 1998
Boeing and Japan Airlines celebrate the delivery of the airline’s 100th 747.

October 30, 1998
Boeing and British Airways celebrate the delivery of the airline’s 50th 747-400.

September 30, 1998
Boeing celebrates 30th anniversary of the first 747-100 to roll out of the Everett factory. A new 747 slogan is revealed at the ceremony: “Boeing 747 – The Leader, The Legend.”

April 23, 1997
Boeing and Lufthansa German Airlines celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first 747-200 Freighter delivery.

January 1996
Boeing delivers 1,100th 747, a 747-400, to England’s Virgin Atlantic Airways and Los Angeles-based International Lease Finance Corp.

November 17, 1993
747-400 Freighter enters commercial service with Luxembourg’s Cargolux Airlines.

October 12, 1993
Boeing delivers line No. 1,000 to Singapore Airlines.

September 10, 1993
Boeing rolls out line No. 1,000, a 747-400.

May 4, 1993
First flight of the first 747-400 Freighter.

March 8, 1993
First 747-400 Freighter rolls out of the factory.

Dec. 1992 - Jan. 1993

747s participate in Operation Restore Hope, transporting 13,609 troops on a United Nations mission to Somalia.

February 5, 1992
Boeing uses first 747-100 to flight-test engines for the 777.

October 22, 1991
747-400 Domestic enters commercial service with Japan Airlines.

March 18, 1991
First flight of the first 747-400 Domestic.

February 18, 1991
First 747-400 Domestic rolls out of the factory.

Aug. 1990 - March 1991

747s participate in Operation Desert Storm, carrying 644,000 troops and 220,000 tons of equipment to and from the Middle East as part of a United Nations effort to restore peace in the region.

August 1990
Boeing delivers first of two presidential 747-200s to the U.S. Air Force.

March 28, 1990
First 747-100 enters semi-retirement at Seattle’s Museum of Flight.

September 12, 1989
747-400 Combi enters commercial service with The Netherlands’ KLM – Royal Dutch Airlines.

June 30, 1989
First flight of the first 747-400 Combi.

March 23, 1989
First 747-400 Combi rolls out of the factory.

February 9, 1989
747-400 enters commercial service with U.S.-based Northwest Airlines.

April 29, 1988
First flight of the first 747-400.

January 26, 1988
Boeing rolls out first 747-400 on same day as first 737-400.

June 5, 1986
U.S. Air Force orders two specially equipped 747-200s to transport the president of the United States.

October 1985
Boeing announces the 12th version of its jumbo jet family, the advanced-technology 747-400.

March 23, 1983
747-300 enters commercial service with Swissair.

October 5, 1982
First flight of the first 747-300.

September 21, 1982
First 747-300 rolls out of the factory.

November 19, 1980
Boeing rolls out line No. 500 from the factory, a 747-200 Combi delivered Feb. 17, 1981, to Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS).

February 18, 1977
Specially equipped 747 carries U.S. space shuttle for the first time.

April 25, 1976
747SP enters commercial service with U.S.-based Pan American World Airways.

October 1975
747 worldwide fleet carries 100 millionth passenger.

July 4, 1975
First flight of the first 747SP; attains top speed of Mach 0.92.

May 19, 1975
First 747SP (special performance) rolls out of the factory.

March 7, 1975
747-200 Combi enters commercial service with Air Canada.

November 11, 1974
First flight of the first 747-200 Combi.

October 30, 1974
First 747-200 Combi rolls out of the factory.

October 7, 1973
First 747SR (short range) enters commercial service with Japan Airlines (Tokyo to Naha, Okinawa).

May 1973
747-200 Convertible enters commercial service with U.S.-based World Airways.

March 23, 1973
First flight of the first 747-200 Convertible.

February 28, 1973
First 747-200 Convertible rolls out of the factory.

September 1972
747 worldwide fleet accumulates one million flight hours.

April 19, 1972
747-200 Freighter enters commercial service with Lufthansa German Airlines.

November 30, 1971
First flight of the first 747-200 Freighter.

November 23, 1971
First 747-200 Freighter rolls out of the factory.

June 1971
747-200 enters commercial service with The Netherlands’ KLM – Royal Dutch Airlines.

February 11, 1971
Boeing delivers line No. 100 to U.S.-based Braniff Airlines.

January 1971
747 worldwide fleet accumulates 71 million miles in first year.

October 11, 1970
First flight of the first 747-200.

September 10, 1970
First 747-200 rolls out of the factory.

July 16, 1970
747 worldwide fleet carries one millionth passenger.

January 21, 1970
747-100 enters commercial service with U.S.-based Pan American World Airways on a New York-to-London flight.

December 30, 1969
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certifies the 747-100 for commercial service.

June 1969
First 747-100 participates in Paris Air Show.

February 9, 1969
First flight of the first 747-100.

September 30, 1968
First 747-100 rolls out of the factory.

June 1968
Boeing tests the new Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine, developed for the 747, on the wings of a Boeing B-52.

November 21, 1967
First 747 nose section arrives at the Everett plant from the Boeing plant in Wichita, Kan.

January 3, 1967
First production workers arrive at the Everett plant.

September 1966
Orders for the 747 reach $1.8 billion.

June 1966
Boeing purchases 780 acres, adjacent to Paine Field, Everett, Wash., to build the 747 production plant.

April 13, 1966
Pan American World Airways announces $525 million order for 25 Boeing 747s, effectively launching the 747 Program.

March 1966
Boeing board of directors decides to proceed with the 747 Program.

Spring 1963
Boeing forms engineering group to develop large airplane to meet passenger and cargo growth predicted for the 1970s.