Boeing rolled out a new jumbo jet over the weekend, hoping to relive the glamour surrounding the birth of the 747 over 40 years ago and use it to boost slow sales.
According to Reuters report posted by GulfNews.com, the 747-8 Intercontinental will seat 467 passengers, 51 more than the current version of the 747, and burn less fuel while offering passengers more comfort.
The unveiling comes almost 42 years to the day since the maiden flight of the 747, which went on to be the world’s most recognised jetliner and transformed the global travel industry.
It is the first appearance of a radically new version of the passenger jet since the first jumbo, with its humped two-storey cabin and 196-foot (69 metre) wingspan, took the world’s breath away on a sunny morning at Everett in September 1968.
“People were awe-struck. It was a monster; nobody had seen anything like it,” said Jim Mullins, a Paris-based science writer who covered the original roll-out for King Broadcasting.
Mullins said when the first 747 was introduced no one had seen anything like it.
— Source: GulfNews.com
