• Boeing's most iconic aircraft — the 747 — is celebrating 51 years of passenger service in January.
• Most of the world's airlines, however, are retiring their 747s in favor of new, fuel-efficient jets.
• The final models will be delivered to cargo giant Atlas Air in 2022, marking the end of the program. //

For cargo carriers, the all-important nose door was a key selling point for the aircraft as the 747 is the only Western-built, mass-produced aircraft to feature it. //
As the Queen of the Skies nears the end of its reign, its legacy will surely live on forever as the aircraft that revolutionized the aviation industry and made the world a smaller place for over 50 years.