From Today I Found Out.

The Boeing 747 is among the most iconic and celebrated aircraft in history. Since first taking to the skies in 1969, the world’s first “Jumbo Jet” has become synonymous with luxury and reliability in air travel, the more than 1,500 aircraft produced having carried over 4 billion passengers over the last 50 years. But sadly the reign of the venerable “Queen of the Skies” is slowly coming to an end as more and more airlines trade in their ageing fleets for newer, more fuel-efficient designs. In July 2016, Boeing announced that it would no longer produce passenger versions of the 747, but would continue manufacturing cargo variants until 2022, whereupon the production line would finally be shut down. But while newer airliners such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing’s own 787 Dreamliner have surpassed the 747 in range, fuel efficiency, and passenger capacity, the old Jumbo Jet holds one aviation record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. On May 24, 1991, an El Al 747 took off with an astounding 1,088 people on board – the largest number of passengers ever carried by a single aircraft. This incredible feat was carried out as part of Operation Solomon, a daring Israeli mission to rescue the Jews of Ethiopia.

Author: Gilles Messier
Host: Simon Whistler
Editor: Daven Hiskey
Producer: Samuel Avila