The Boeing 747 is one of the most iconic airliners of all time. It is the second-most produced twin-aisle jet in the world (after the Boeing 777), and its unique design, along with sheer size, has captured the imaginations of passengers for decades. The "jumbo jet" can even be considered a film star, having appeared in hundreds of movies.

Boeing 747s are quickly becoming a relic of the past. Part of the reason is its sheer size; as the largest airliner until the Airbus A380, the 747 was difficult to fill, making operating economics challenging. Furthermore, with its four engines comes four engines' worth of fuel burn, making it an expensive aircraft to use. Let's take a look at the operating costs of a Boeing 747.

Fuel Burn Per Hour

BBC Future Planet quotes a burn rate of .09 gallons (four liters) per second for a 747-400. This works out to 3,240 gallons (14,400 liters) per hour. Of course, actual fuel burn depends on speed, altitude, aircraft weight, engines, and aircraft age (later-built planes are equipped with Performance Improvement Packages, or PIPs). However, fuel burn will generally be close to these figures.

The Boeing 747-8 uses the General Electric GEnx-2B, a scaled-down version of the 787's GEnx engines. These are far more efficient than the powerplants on the 747-400. However, the 747-8 is larger and heavier, which does increase fuel burn, though this also improves per-seat costs. Actual fuel burn figures are generally kept secret. However, if we assume a 3% reduction in nominal fuel burn, this comes out to around 3,143 gallons (13,968 liters) per hour.

Jet fuel prices are another metric that's far from stagnant. Fuel prices vary by region and can climb or fall drastically at any given point. At the time of writing, IATA reports that jet fuel costs 192.6 cents per gallon on average worldwide. For a 747-400, this works out to an average of $6,240.24 every hour, while the 747-8 could cost an airline around $6,053.42 per hour in fuel.

Staffing Costs

In order to fly a Boeing 747, one needs staff. A modern Boeing 747 requires two pilots minimum, while a third is usually required for flights over eight hours, and a fourth for flights over 12 hours. Furthermore, a 747 also requires at least 12 flight attendants under FAA regulations (one per door). What makes this challenging is that hourly salaries for flight crews and cabin crews are generally not public information.

However, these are available for US pilots and flight attendants. Although no US passenger airline flies the 747 anymore, pay rates for these aircraft are often still negotiated in case of a shift in future fleet strategy. The current American Airlines pilot contract lists the maximum hourly pay for a 747 captain at $478.75 and $327.03 for a first officer. The lowest pay rate is $439.29 for a 747 captain and $118.31 for a first officer, though most 747 pilots worldwide are extremely senior.

Meanwhile, American Airlines cabin crew earn between $35.82 and $82.24 per hour, depending on seniority. This is not dependent on aircraft type, as flight attendants can and often do work on multiple different aircraft types. Keep in mind that US flight crews and cabin crews are some of the highest paid in the world, and as all passenger 747s are based outside of America, staffing costs for current 747 operators are likely slightly lower.

Other Costs For A 747

Boeing hasn't delivered a new 747-400 to a passenger airline in 20 years. Meanwhile, the final passenger 747-8 was delivered in 2017. The list price for a 747-400 was over $260 million in the 2000s, while a 747-8 was priced at around $418 million during its production. However, airlines usually receive at least a half-off discount of the aircraft's list price or more. This means that a 747-400 would have cost most airlines no more than $130 million, and $209 million for the 747-8.

The Boeing 747-400 and 747-8 are rated for a maximum of 165,000 flight hours. Using these figures, a 747-400 would cost $787.88 per hour in capital costs, while a 747-8 would cost $1,266.67 per flight hour. In actuality, airlines finance their planes or even lease aircraft. The exact terms of such agreements are kept secret.

Furthermore, planes need to be maintained. The most expensive type of maintenance is generally known as a D check, though exact terminology differs by airline. A D check can cost around $6 million for a Boeing 747. These are typically performed every six to ten years, and other maintenance checks also cost thousands of dollars. Catering also costs money, and for a 747, it can cost tens of thousands.

How Much To Fly A 747

Exact airline configurations differ depending on the airline and specific mission. 👁 Image
Lufthansa is one of the few airlines that operates both variants of the 747, with eight 747-400s and 19 747-8s. The 747-8s, however, have fewer seats due to their role as a premium-heavy aircraft, while the 747-400s are intended more for high-capacity missions. The 747-8s feature 364 seats, while the 747-400 is equipped with 371 seats.

Using a seven-hour flight as an example, we can calculate two pilots and 12 flight attendants. We will use the top pay scales for staff, given that 747s generally rank senior among flight crews and generally operate routes staffed by senior cabin crews. Using this data, the 747-400 would cost around $9,000 to operate per hour, whereas the 747-8 would cost over $9,200 per hour.

These figures are highly simplified, and you also have to account for landing fees, catering costs, and other variables. For example, fuel burn increases as flights become longer, due to the weight of the extra fuel, while longer flights require more staff. In actuality, a 747 would cost between $10,000 and $20,000 per hour. While the 747-8's higher capital costs give it a disadvantage in this particular calculation, the 747-8 can either fit more total seats, or more premium seats that add extra revenue.

The Gradual End Of The Boeing 747

As we see, the Boeing 747 is an expensive aircraft to operate. Given that it's also huge, this has resulted in airlines replacing the type. A smaller, modern widebody like the Airbus A330 or Boeing 787 usually costs between $6,000 to $8,000 per hour. In a choice between two planes with equal per-seat economics, airlines will always choose the smaller plane as it's less risky. A larger plane, therefore, needs significantly better operating economics to succeed, and the 747 doesn't.

Although it was born out of a vision to reduce per-seat economics by sheer size, this wasn't the reason for its success. Rather, the 747 primarily sold on its unparalleled range, which allowed airlines to launch unprecedented new routes. However, as new aircraft emerged on the market with the same or greater range, the 747 no longer had a selling point, while the size became a liability. This is why the 747-400 is going away, while only three passenger carriers ordered the 747-8.

Only 48 passenger Boeing 747-8s were built, compared to nearly 400 747-200s and nearly 700 747-400s. The Boeing 747-8 simply didn't offer economics that were compelling enough for airlines to fly one 747-8 instead of two Dreamliners. Furthermore, the 747's overall design is far from modern by today's standards, which meant that even the 747-8 remained relatively thirsty. By comparison, the clean-sheet Airbus A380 fared better, with 251 sales throughout its life.

The Rundown

The reign of the Queen of the Skies is coming to an end. No longer efficient or revolutionary, airlines have been dumping these double-deckers for years, and in most cases, it's smaller twinjets that have succeeded the 747 rather than the 747-8 or the A380. In particular, it's the Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787, and Airbus A350 that have replaced 747s worldwide. Today, the 747 is simply too expensive for most airlines to operate.

The 747-400 was an excellent airliner for its time; however, times have changed drastically. The 747-8, meanwhile, wasn't enough of an improvement to justify widespread use. Only three passenger airlines ordered the 747-8, and nearly 70% of sales were for the Boeing 747-8F. This is because its the largest, most capable, and most efficient new-build freighter currently in service. Unfortunately, the passenger 747 didn't go out on a high note, precisely because of economics.

While enthusiasts marvel at its size, provenance, and unique design, airlines want small, efficient airliners with two engines. Although the increasing homogeneity of the skies is making commercial aviation less interesting, airlines are businesses. Reductions in operating costs allow airlines to charge lower prices. Therefore, although the 747 was revolutionary, the time has come for it to step down from its throne as the aviation world focuses on 787s and A350s.