The 747 in 2026
747 production ended in January 2023 after 1,574 aircraft. Four airlines still fly passenger 747s, the freighter fleets are large, and two 747-8s are becoming Air Force One.
About this page. The original page here carried a syndicated news feed that no longer exists. Rather than leave it empty, it now sets out where the aircraft actually stands. For dated posts going back to 2009, see the blog.
Production has ended
The 747 is no longer made. The last one, a 747-8 Freighter, was handed over to Atlas Air on 31 January 2023, closing a production run that had started in 1968 and totalled 1,574 aircraft.
The passenger line had effectively stopped long before. The last passenger 747-400 was built in 2005, and only 48 747-8 Intercontinentals were ever completed against 107 freighters.
Who still flies one
With passengers: four airlines. Lufthansa by a wide margin, plus Air China, Korean Air and Rossiya.
With freight: a great many. Atlas Air operates the largest 747 fleet in the world at around 63 aircraft, followed by UPS, Cargolux, Kalitta Air and Cathay Cargo.
That split is the whole story of the type’s last decade. A passenger 747 is retired when its fuel burn per seat stops competing with a twin; a freighter is retired when the airframe runs out of cycles. The freighters delivered in the 2010s and early 2020s have decades of work ahead of them, which means the 747 will be flying well into the 2040s.
The full picture, including when each airline said goodbye, is on the airlines page.
Presidential aircraft
The most visible 747s now in the news are not airliners.
Two 747-8s are being converted into VC-25B presidential aircraft to replace the ageing VC-25A pair, which are 747-200 airframes dating from 1990. Separately, a 747-8 given to the United States by Qatar entered service as an interim Air Force One in 2026.
It is a fitting last act: the 747 will still be carrying heads of state long after the last airline retires one.
What happened to the rest
Most retired passenger 747s were scrapped — a four-engined widebody has little value once no airline wants it, and the parts are worth more than the airframe. The soundest were converted into freighters, which is how a good number are still working.
A handful found stranger afterlives. One became Cosmic Girl, launching satellites into orbit from under its wing, and is now being converted again as a hypersonic testbed carrier. Others became Shuttle Carriers, a flying observatory, a firefighting tanker and an airborne laser.
Several are preserved and can be visited — including the very first 747 ever built.
Where to read more
- The blog — dated posts from 2009 onward, with updates added where the outcome is now known
- Airlines — who flew it, who still does, and every major retirement date
- The 747 family — every variant with production numbers
- Everything about the Boeing 747-8 — the final generation in detail
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Boeing 747 still being made?
- No. Production ended on 31 January 2023, when the final aircraft — a 747-8 Freighter — was delivered to Atlas Air. In total 1,574 were built over 54 years.
- Is the Boeing 747 still flying in 2026?
- Yes. Four airlines still operate scheduled passenger services with the 747 — Lufthansa, Air China, Korean Air and Rossiya — and a large number of cargo airlines fly 747 freighters, led by Atlas Air, UPS and Cargolux.
More in Everything About the 747-8
The Boeing 747-8
A guide to the final 747 — the stretched fuselage, new wing, GEnx-2B engines, 787-derived flight deck and the freighter that closed the production line.
747 Timeline
A Boeing 747 chronology from the 1963 design study to the final delivery in January 2023, with rollout, first flight and delivery dates.
Fun Facts from Boeing
Boeing 747 facts and figures — six million parts, the largest building on Earth, 1,088 people on one flight, and 1,574 aircraft built over 54 years.
The 747-8 and the environment
The 747-8 meets emissions limits for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, smoke and nitrogen oxides, with a noise footprint about 30 percent smaller than the 747-400.
The 747-8 cabin experience
Larger windows, a sculpted 787-style ceiling, LED mood lighting and a quieter cabin than any previous 747.
747-8 vs 747-400
Externally similar, mechanically different — the 747-8 has a longer fuselage, a new wing, higher-bypass engines and a higher gross weight than the 747-400.