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Top Ten industry Changing Airliners |
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Articles
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Written by Courtney Miller
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Friday, 20 July 2007 |
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Page 9 of 11
#3 - Boeing 747
 In the wake of the supersonic transport revolution with the Concorde, Boeing had sunk all of their resources into building the largest transport aircraft of its time. The 747-100 launched in 1970 under the philosophy that lower costs per seat would be the driving force in the future. Having forecast only 400 of the jumbo jets, Boeing has delivered over 1,300 of the 747-400 version 37 years after its original design.
The initial impact to the airline industry was obvious as capacity rose and fares plummeted. The 747 has been blamed for several airlines demise as the low unit cost to operate enticed too many orders at the expense of ticket prices. The airlines adjusted, and the hub-and-spoke network was adopted largely to counter the huge capacity increases of the 747. Deployed in almost exclusively long-haul international and freighter roles today, the 747’s effect on the airline industry has been profound.
While the 747 revolutionized the economics of flight, the 2nd most industry changing airliner changed passengers perception of comfort.
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