Over the past several years we’ve seen airline after airline after airline retire the 747. That’s a shame, since the queen of the skies is an iconic plane that completely revolutionized aviation, and there’s not really a replacement for it. The 747-8 has been a bit of a flop (at least when it comes to the passenger version of the plane), and the A380 unfortunately only seems to be working for Emirates, which just took delivery of their 100th A380.

Instead airlines are opting for more fuel efficient and lower capacity planes, like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. These planes allow airlines to operate routes that weren’t previously feasible, and also do a better job of maximizing yields, as there aren’t as many seats to sell.

The world’s largest operator of the Boeing 747 is British Airways, as they have 36 Boeing 747-400s in their fleet. While other airlines park the planes in the desert, British Airways up until now hasn’t announced any plans to retire the plane. […]

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