Boeing ending production of the 747 means cargo carriers will lose a key feature and be left scrambling when it's gone

• Passenger airlines are hurriedly saying goodbye to the Boeing 747 but the jet still has a long life ahead of it in the cargo realm.
• Cargo airlines that value its abundance of storage space will keep the plane flying for at least another 20 years once the last model is delivered. 
• One feature of the 747 that cargo carriers will miss the most, however, is the nose door.
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The sun is setting on the Boeing 747 as production will be coming to an end by 2023 after over 50 years, its manufacturer announced on Wednesday, and cargo airlines may have the most to lose.

Passenger airlines have been all too eager to say goodbye to jets like the 747 in recent years through efforts to lean their fleets, opting for smaller aircraft that can operate more cost-effectively. Once a symbol of luxury and extravagance in the skies, flying the 747 is now likely seen by most airline revenue analysts as wasteful, especially with plummeting demand no longer warranting its cavernous passenger cabins.

But while the passenger airlines are saying goodbye, cargo carriers are still welcoming the Jumbo Jet with open arms. Among the final recipients of the 747 are two cargo-haulers, UPS Airlines and the Volga-Dnepr Group. 

It comes as no surprise since very few planes can hold more freight than the 747 thanks to its unique design intended to carry as many passengers as possible. And cargo carriers have shown that they can still make use of the planes that airlines have discarded, even decades later.

The 747 will likely stick around flying freight for another at least another 20 years after the last one is delivered but when it does eventually disappear from the skies, there's one feature that cargo carriers will likely miss the most. 

The Boeing 747 took its first flight in 1969, over a half-century ago, and revolutionized passenger air travel thanks to its advances in range and passenger capacity.

Read More: Boeing will reportedly stop making its iconic 747 Jumbo Jet after 50 years of passenger flight — here's the history of how the iconic plane changed the world

But while its size and iconic hump were once celebrated, they're now being rendered obsolete by the new guard of more efficient jets that can fly comparable distances for cheaper.

Since March, five passenger airlines have hastily said goodbye to their Boeing 747s including British Airways...

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• British Airways is auctioning millions of dollars worth of lounge art in a hasty attempt to raise cash – see the extravagant collection
• Double-decker planes are going extinct as Airbus and Boeing discontinue their largest models. Here's why airlines are abandoning 4-engine jets.
• Boeing will stop making its 747 Jumbo Jet after more than 50 years of passenger flight. Here's the complete history of how the iconic plane changed the world.

SEE ALSO: Even more iconic planes are disappearing from the sky earlier than planned as the coronavirus continues to wreak airline havoc

DON'T MISS: See inside the the world's largest private jet: a Boeing 747 with an interior so large it took 4 years to design and build

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