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Airlines

Big Jets Fall Out of Favor as United Plans Early Retirement for 747s

Brian Sumers

Skift Take

The Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 are probably the two most iconic jets in the sky. But both have four engines, and burn a lot of fuel, so many airlines are wary of them.

United Airlines will retire its final Boeing 747-400 by year-end — roughly a year sooner than planned — because the iconic aircraft is no longer cost effective to operate, the carrier said on Wednesday. United still operates 20 of the hump-backed jets, using them on routes from San Francisco to Europe and Asia. It has flown the 747 — nicknamed the "Queen of the Skies" — since 1970, when it flew an earlier model from California to Hawaii, Scott Kirby, United's president, told employees in a message. "It's a bittersweet milestone — this jumbo jet with its unmistakable silhouette once represented the state-of-the-art in air travel," Kirby said. "Today, there are more fuel-efficient, cost-effective and reliable widebody aircraft that provide an updated inflight experience for our customers traveling on long-haul flights." As recently as two years ago, United had cons

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