SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co (PROHIBITION) and suppliers established the final number of parts it would need for the 747 jumbo jet program at least a year ago, signaling the end of a plane that democratized global air travel in the 1970s but lagged behind modern twin-engine aircraft. Industry sources said Friday.
FILE PHOTO: A boy rides a bicycle next to the retired Boeing 747 aircraft on display in the Shanghai Expo area, when Typhoon Hato passes through southern China, in Shanghai, China, on August 23, 2017. REUTERS / Aly Song
Boeing’s “Queen of the Skies”, the world’s most easily recognizable passenger jet with its hunchbacked fuselage and four engines, marked its 50th anniversary of flight in February 2019, clinging to life thanks to a cargo market boom powered by online shopping.
But the end of the show has been suspended in the air for years amid falling orders and price pressure. The coronavirus pandemic has also crushed passenger travel and demand for new aircraft.
The last order for a passenger version came in 2017, when the U.S. government asked Boeing to reuse two 747-8s for the U.S. president to use as Air Force One.
Boeing declined to confirm that it was disconnecting the 747 program, first reported by Bloomberg News on Thursday.
“At a construction rate of 0.5 aircraft per month, the 747-8 program has more than two years of production ahead of us to meet our current commitments to customers,” said a Boeing spokesperson.
“We will continue to make the right decisions to keep the production line healthy and meet customer needs,” he added.
The end of 747 would follow Airbus SE (AIR.PA) by gradually eliminating your A380 jumbo jet. In June, the last convoy of oversized parts for the world’s largest aircraft crawled toward an assembly plant in southwest France.
The death of the 747 program could also mean charges and layoffs for stopping production at the gigantic wide-bodied plant outside of Seattle. It could also have financial implications in newer programs like the 787 Dreamliner and the latest 777 model, which would have to bear more of the plant’s huge overhead if the 747 line went dark.
A source from a supplier said it was unsure when Boeing made a formal decision to end the program, but said the final number of ship sets, as full sets of parts are known, was agreed with the supply base. at least a year ago.
Boeing also removed language from the financial filings that it would continue to “assess the feasibility” of the 747 program, which an industry source said was a telltale sign of its plans.
Report by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Additional reports by Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Daniel Wallis
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