On Wednesday, Atlas Air took delivery of a Boeing 747-8 Freighter. This unit is the second of four new 747-8 Freighters ordered by the company in 2021, which are also the last 747s ever to be produced by Boeing, putting an end to the ‘Queen of the Skies’ assembly line.Earlier this week, we also learned that the second to last 747 rolled out of Boeing’s factory. Atlas Air will take delivery of the remaining two ‘Queens of the Skies’ this year, and Boeing will put an end to a 54-year history.

In 2020, at the height of the air industry pandemic crisis, Boeing announced it would stop making the classic 747 within the next two years. Atlas Air placed the final order for the iconic model in January 2021, requesting four brand-new 747-8F aircraft, in an order valued at over US$1.6 billion. This order would bring Atlas Air’s 747 fleet to 57 aircraft. The cargo company is already the largest operator of 747 Freighters in the world.