{"id":240455,"date":"2020-03-02T17:18:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T16:18:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/?p=240455"},"modified":"2020-03-02T18:01:20","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T17:01:20","slug":"top-10-airlines-still-flying-the-boeing-747","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/2020\/03\/02\/top-10-airlines-still-flying-the-boeing-747\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 airlines still flying the Boeing 747"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday\u00a0newsletters<\/a>\u00a0always feature\u00a0top 10 travel lists<\/a>\u00a0to inspire.<\/p>\n

Today (March 2, 2020): Top 10 airlines still flying the Boeing 747.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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IMHO, the Boeing 747 is the most beautiful and elegant airplane ever designed. The wide body, four-engine jet features a distinctive upper deck shape, which has earned it the nickname \u201cJumbo Jet\u201d. <\/span>It has been 50 years since the first Boeing 747 was delivered to Pan Am, and more than 1500 of the iconic aircraft have been built since then. Its ability to carry more than 500 passengers on longhaul routes truly opened the age of modern jet travel, bringing with it new possibilities and destinations.<\/span> Unfortunately though, the Boeing 747 is a dying breed since airlines are now choosing for more fuel-efficient and cost-effective widebody aircraft, so the clock is ticking for folks looking to travel on a Boeing 747. Here are 10 airlines (in alphabetic order) that still operate Boeing 747 passenger flights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There is more information (with review & YouTube clips) below the slideshow. Have you ever flown onboard the Boeing 747? If so, what was your experience. Leave a comment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This slideshow requires JavaScript.<\/p>

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1. AIR CHINA<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Air China is the flag carrier and largest airline of the People’s Republic of China. Last year, the airline carried more than 100 million domestic and international passengers with an average load factor of 81% (although there is little doubt that the current Coronavirus crisis will negatively affect Air China’s business performance in 2020). The carrier operates a fleet of 434 aircraft, including 12 Boeing 747-400s and 747-800s. On these aircraft, Business Class is located in the nose of the aircraft and on the upper deck, with the cabin featuring a painted collage of the Summer Palace, which symbolizes good luck in China. The seats are arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration at the back, with 2-2 rows continuing to the front and on the upper deck.<\/p>\n

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2. AIR INDIA<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

Air India – a member of Star Alliance – is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. The carrier received its first Boeing 747 in April 1971. Air India has since operated 30 of these Boeing 747 aircraft. Currently, Air India still has 4 Boeing 747-400s (VT-ESO\/P, VT-EVA\/B) in its fleet. They are very old aircraft, with an average age of more than 22 years. Each 747 has 12 First Class seats, 26 Business Class seats and 385 Economy Class seats. First Class is in the nose of the aircraft on the lower deck in a 2-2 configuration. Business Class occupies the entire upper deck, again in a 2-2 configuration. Economy Class seats, in a 3-4-3 layout, are also on the lower deck behind the First Class cabin. Air India’s 747s regularly operate on routes between Mumbai, Hyderabad, Jeddah, and Kochi.<\/p>\n

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3. BRITISH AIRWAYS<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n

British Airways is the world\u2019s largest operator of the Boeing 747, as the UK’s flag carrier has 36 Boeing 747-400s in its fleet. The 747-400 is a proven performer with high reliability and incorporates major aerodynamic improvements over earlier 747 models, including the addition of a 6 ft (1.8-m) longer wing with a winglet angled upward and slightly outward. The wingtip extension and winglet offer a fuel mileage improvement of about 3 percent, which during the life span of an airplane amounts to considerable savings. British Airways will retire its Boeing 747 fleet by February 2024. The carrier plans to phase out these iconic aircraft in stages, with half of their B747s being phased out by 2021.<\/p>\n