Editing Boeing 747 (section)

=== Further developments ===
[[File:Japan Airlines 747-400 Economy cabin.jpg|thumb|747-400 main deck economy class seating in 3–4–3 layout|alt=Interior view. Seats are separated by two aisles, in 3–4–3 configuration. A TV is positioned towards the front of aircraft.]]

After the arrival of the {{not a typo|747-400}}, several stretching schemes for the 747 were proposed. Boeing announced the larger 747-500X and {{nowrap|-600X}} preliminary designs in 1996.<ref name="boe_1996">{{Cite web |date=September 2, 1996 |title=Boeing Outlines the "Value" of Its 747 Plans |url=http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/1996/news.release.960902c.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081024211719/http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/1996/news.release.960902c.html |archive-date=October 24, 2008 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=The Boeing Company}}</ref> The new variants would have cost more than US$5&nbsp;billion to develop,<ref name=boe_1996 /> and interest was not sufficient to launch the program.<ref name="FI_500X">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071214001602/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/1997/03/19/157/ba-warms-to-a3xx-plan.html "BA warms to A3XX plan"]. ''Flight International'', March 19, 1997. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.</ref> In 2000, Boeing offered the more modest 747X and 747X stretch derivatives as alternatives to the Airbus [[Airbus A380|A38X]]. However, the 747X family was unable to attract enough interest to enter production. A year later, Boeing switched from the 747X studies to pursue the [[Boeing Sonic Cruiser|Sonic Cruiser]],<ref name= "shelv_747X">[http://english.people.com.cn/english/200103/30/eng20010330_66406.html "Boeing Shelves 747X to Focus on Faster Jet"]. ''[[People's Daily]]'', March 30, 2001. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.</ref> and after the Sonic Cruiser program was put on hold, the [[Boeing 787 Dreamliner|787 Dreamliner]].<ref>Taylor, Alex III. [https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2002/12/09/333457/ "Boeing's Amazing Sonic Cruiser…"] ''[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]]'', December 9, 2002. Retrieved: December 17, 2007.</ref> Some of the ideas developed for the 747X were used on the [[Boeing 747-400ER|747-400ER]], a longer range variant of the {{not a typo|747-400}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date= November 28, 2000 |title=Boeing Launches New, Longer-Range 747-400 |url= http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/news_release_001128c.html |url-status=dead |archive-url = http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090706141448/http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/news_release_001128c.html |archive-date=July 6, 2009 |access-date=December 17, 2007 |publisher=The Boeing Company}}</ref>

After several variants were proposed but later abandoned, some industry observers became skeptical of new aircraft proposals from Boeing.<ref>Holmes, Stanley. [http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2005/id20051116_370967.htm "Boeing's Reborn 747."] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208081112/http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/nov2005/id20051116_370967.htm |date=December 8, 2007}} ''Business Week'', November 16, 2005.</ref> However, in early 2004, Boeing announced tentative plans for the 747 Advanced that were eventually adopted. Similar in nature to the 747-X, the stretched 747 Advanced used technology from the 787 to modernize the design and its systems. The 747 remained the largest passenger airliner in service until the [[Airbus A380]] began airline service in 2007.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7061164.stm "A380 superjumbo lands in Sydney"]. ''BBC News''. Retrieved: December 10, 2007.</ref>

[[File:Boeing 747-8 Lufthansa D-ABYI at LAX.jpg|alt=A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental for Lufthansa|thumb|A Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental of [[Lufthansa]]]]
On November 14, 2005, Boeing announced it was launching the 747 Advanced as the [[Boeing 747-8]].<ref name="boeing747-8">{{Cite web |date=November 14, 2005 |title=Boeing Launches New 747-8 Family |url=http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q4/nr_051114h.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124063705/http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q4/nr_051114h.html |archive-date=November 24, 2005 |access-date=December 17, 2007 |publisher=The Boeing Company}}</ref> The last 747-400s were completed in 2009.<ref name="downhill">[http://www.businessday.co.nz/world/4842143 "Downhill for the jumbo."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211082459/http://www.businessday.co.nz/world/4842143 |date=February 11, 2009}} ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', January 9, 2009. Retrieved: February 9, 2009.</ref> {{As of|2011}}, most orders of the 747-8 were for the freighter variant. On February 8, 2010, the 747-8 Freighter made its [[maiden flight]].<ref>Ostrower, Jon. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212112245/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/02/08/338138/pictures.html "Boeing's 747-8F lifts off on maiden flight"]. Flightglobal.com, February 8, 2010.</ref> The first delivery of the 747-8 went to [[Cargolux]] in 2011.<ref>[http://boeing.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1448 "Boeing Sets 747-8 Freighter Delivery Schedule for Mid-Year 2011"]. ''The Boeing Company'', September 30, 2010.</ref><ref>Trimble, Stephen. [https://web.archive.org/web/20101002103349/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/09/30/347996/boeing-pushes-747-8f-delivery-back-to-mid-2011.html "Boeing pushes 747-8F delivery back to mid-2011/"] ''Air Transport Intelligence News'' via ''Flight global,'' September 30, 2010. Retrieved: February 22, 2011.</ref> The first 747-8 Intercontinental passenger variant was delivered to [[Lufthansa]] on May 5, 2012.<ref>{{Cite press release |title= Lufthansa conducts inaugural flight of world's first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental passenger aircraft from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C. |date=June 1, 2012 |publisher=Boeing |url=https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2012-06-01-Lufthansa-Conducts-Inaugural-Flight-of-Worlds-First-Boeing-747-8-Intercontinental-Passenger-Aircraft-from-Frankfurt-to-Washington-D-C}}</ref> The 1,500th Boeing 747 was delivered in June 2014 to Lufthansa.<ref name= "1500th_747">[http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2014-06-28-Boeing-Delivers-1-500th-747 "Boeing Delivers 1,500th 747"]. Boeing, June 28, 2014.</ref>

In January 2016, Boeing stated it was reducing 747-8 production to six per year beginning in September 2016, incurring a $569&nbsp;million post-tax charge against its fourth-quarter 2015 profits. At the end of 2015, the company had 20 orders outstanding.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 22, 2016 |title=Jumbo jet demise draws a step closer |work=Financial Times |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/812f52e0-c083-11e5-9fdb-87b8d15baec2.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/812f52e0-c083-11e5-9fdb-87b8d15baec2.html |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Ostrower |first=Jon |date=January 22, 2016 |title=Boeing to Cut Production of 747s |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/boeing-to-cut-production-of-747s-1453412741}}</ref> On January 29, 2016, Boeing announced that it had begun the preliminary work on the modifications to a commercial 747-8 for the next [[Air Force One]] presidential aircraft, then expected to be operational by 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 1, 2016 |title=Boeing starts work on replacing Air Force One |work=Air Force Times |url=http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2016/02/01/boeing-starts-work-replacing-air-force-one/79637424/}}</ref>

On July 12, 2016, Boeing announced that it had finalized an order from [[Volga-Dnepr Group]] for 20 747-8 freighters, valued at $7.58&nbsp;billion (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=7580000000|start_year=2016}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) at list prices. Four aircraft were delivered beginning in 2012. Volga-Dnepr Group is the parent of three major Russian air-freight carriers – [[Volga-Dnepr Airlines]], [[AirBridgeCargo Airlines]] and [[Atran Airlines]]. The new 747-8 freighters would replace AirBridgeCargo's current 747-400 aircraft and expand the airline's fleet and will be acquired through a mix of direct purchases and leasing over the next six years, Boeing said.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 12, 2016 |title=Volga-Dnepr Group acquires 20 Boeing 747-8 freighters |url=http://atwonline.com/airframes/volga-dnepr-group-acquires-20-boeing-747-8-freighters? |publisher=Air Transport World}}</ref>