The Boeing 747, the world’s first wide-bodied commercial airliner, entered service in January 1970, on Pan Am’s New York–London route.
The 747-400 is made up of around six million parts, and can carry more than 57,000 gallons of fuel.
“We see aircraft like the A350-1000 and the 777X as being natural replacements for the 747”
Yet cheaper fares may be on the way in OF THE SKIES
WHEN BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL started flights in 1978 from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub to London Gatwick it created something of a stir: the giant Boeing 747 aircraft was painted almost entirely in garish orange paint (the tail fin was excluded for regulatory reasons). Not surprisingly, the 747 was dubbed the ‘Big Orange’. Braniff was no slouch in publicising its presence and not only had a tradition of painting its aircraft in distinctive patterns and colours, but also offering what it claimed was the ultimate in international travel. “Welcome to ‘747 Braniff Place’…. The most exclusive address in the sky”, ran its newspaper ads. This strategy included turning the upstairs deck on the 747 into an exclusive lounge for first class passengers, to drink, eat and socialise during the flight. I flew the Big Orange in 1978 as
a young Financial Times reporter, making it not only my first time on a 747 but also my debut in first class. I recall the lounge was also decorated in an orange colour scheme and most of the passengers were grizzled Texan oilmen who spent the entire flight playing poker and drinking heavily. Naively, I thought all 747 flights would be like this...
26 BBT MAY/JUNE 2014
Braniff was not alone among the airlines of the era in turning the 747 into an unprecedented experience by utilising the aircraft’s unique advantage of size. Many added bars and dedicated lounges on board for premium passengers, with Richard Branson keeping up the tradition of an in-flight bar when he started Virgin Atlantic in the mid-1980s.
For a generation of flyers used to the restrictions of narrow- bodied, single-aisle aircraft such the Boeing 707 or DC-8, the sheer amount of space on a 747 was astonishing. It had partly been conceived as a cargo aircraft, and this influenced its design. But instead of two decks on top of each other, as had at first been mooted, the needs of transporting large cargo led to the innovation of putting the decks side-by-side. The era of the wide-body airliner for long-haul travel had arrived.
The short upper deck, moreover, was necessitated by the need to put the pilot’s cabin above the main interior to ensure the cargo space was left clear on the 747 freighter versions – but it gave the aircraft its distinctive shape – a Jumbo to some, but Queen of the Skies to others.
any case as a result of global airlines cur- rently “replacing their fleet at unprecedented levels”, according to James Stamp, global head of aviation at consultancy group KPMG. BA, for example, is already in the midst
of a fleet upgrade, including adding further A380s and B787s, starting in 2017. But it is also considering buying more jets in the early years of the next decade. “We see aircraft like the A350-1000 and the new extra-long 777X as being natural replacement aircraft for the 747s we have,” said Willie Walsh recently, although stressing that no commitments have been made as yet. Other airlines are also bullish: ANA has
ordered a total of 70 new jets from Boeing and Airbus, worth almost US$17 billion, for delivery between 2016 and 2027. These and other big orders, according to
KPMG’s Stamp, will see a significant increase in capacity. “In this event, falling operating costs and competition to fill capacity should result in further downward pressure on ticket prices, which would be good news for airline passengers and their companies,” he added. But while there may not be much good
news ahead for the future of the iconic Boeing 747, there is still one ray of hope for its many fans. Two specially adapted 747s are used by the president of the United States when flying domestically and abroad, and which- ever one is flown carries the radio call signal Air Force One – hence its popular name. These Jumbos, however, are nearly 25 years
old and, not surprisingly, the White House is seeking replacements before the end of the decade. Although approaches were made to both Boeing and Airbus, the European company has reportedly passed on bidding. Now the likelihood is that a new generation 747-8 will be adapted for the president, with its four engines preferred over the 787 Dream- liner’s two. So size does matter, after all.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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