Is the Boeing 747 safe?

For its era the 747 had an industry-standard safety record; early variants suffered higher hull-loss rates that improved significantly with the 747-400. The Tenerife disaster (1977) and JAL 123 (1985) are the two deadliest aviation accidents ever recorded, but both involved external factors (ATC miscommunication and improper repair) rather than inherent airframe flaws. Modern 747 freighter variants have a strong safety record.

How many fatal Boeing 747 accidents have there been?

Across all 747 variants since 1970, there have been over 60 hull losses with fatalities. The deadliest events are Tenerife (583), JAL 123 (520), TWA 800 (230), and Korean Air 007 (269). Most fatal 747 accidents occurred with older -100, -200, and -SP variants now retired from passenger service.

Which airline has the largest 747 fleet?

Among freighter operators, Atlas Air and UPS Airlines are the largest 747 operators with around 50 aircraft each. In passenger service, Korean Air remains one of the last major operators of the 747-8I. Lufthansa was the launch customer for the 747-8I but retired its fleet in 2023.

What's the difference between the 747-400 and 747-8?

The 747-8 (Intercontinental for passengers, 8F for freight) is stretched by 5.6 metres compared to the 747-400, carries roughly 50 more passengers, and uses GEnx-2B engines delivering approximately 16% better fuel efficiency. The 747-8 also has a redesigned upper deck and winglets, while the 747-400 had distinctive winglets introduced on the -400 variant.

How many seats does a Boeing 747 have?

A typical three-class 747-400 seats around 416 passengers; British Airways operated a four-class 747-400 with 345 seats. The 747-8I in Lufthansa's configuration seats 364 in four classes. In high-density single-class charter layouts, the 747-400 can seat over 600 passengers.

When was the Boeing 747 introduced?

The 747-100 entered commercial service with Pan American World Airways on 22 January 1970, on the New York–London route. The first 747 flight took place on 9 February 1969 from Everett, Washington. The most recent variant, the 747-8I, entered service with Lufthansa in June 2012.

Boeing 747 — flights, routes and airlines

Every city pair operated by the Boeing 747 worldwide. Live schedule data, recent safety events, and operator details.

The Boeing 747 is operated by 10 airlines across 329 city pairs in our observed-flights dataset (last 14 days).

Top routes: AMM-HKG, AMS-ALA, AMS-FRA, AMS-GYD, AMS-ICN.

Variants and specifications

Variant	First flight	Typical seats	Range (nm)	Status
747-100	1969	366-550	6000	out of production
747-200	1971	366-550	6857	out of production
747-300	1982	400-624	6328	out of production
747-400	1988	416-660	7260	in service
747-400F	1993	0	4450	in service
747-8I	2011	467-605	8000	in service
747-8F	2010	0	4390	in service

Notable accidents and incidents

1977-03-27 KLM 4805 / Pan Am 1736 KLM / Pan Am 747-200 583 fatalities

Two 747s collided on the runway at Tenerife Los Rodeos Airport in fog; the KLM aircraft attempted takeoff without clearance. The deadliest accident in aviation history.
1985-08-12 Japan Air Lines 123 Japan Air Lines 747SR-100 520 fatalities

Rear pressure bulkhead failure caused loss of all four hydraulic systems; the aircraft flew uncontrolled for 32 minutes before crashing into Mount Takamagahara. The deadliest single-aircraft accident in history.
1983-09-01 Korean Air 007 Korean Air 747-230B 269 fatalities

Strayed into Soviet airspace due to a navigational error and was shot down by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor near Sakhalin Island.
1996-07-17 TWA 800 Trans World Airlines 747-131 230 fatalities

Centre fuel tank exploded shortly after departure from New York JFK, breaking the aircraft apart over the Atlantic; investigation attributed ignition to an electrical fault in the fuel quantity indication system.

About the Boeing 747

The Boeing 747 — the "Queen of the Skies" — transformed mass long-haul travel when Pan American World Airways introduced it in January 1970. Its distinctive upper deck and four-engine layout made it the world's largest commercial aircraft for 37 years, until the A380. The 747-400, the most-produced variant, dominated intercontinental routes for three decades.

Passenger 747s have largely retired from scheduled service: British Airways retired its last 747-400 in 2020, KLM in 2020, and Qantas in 2020. The final 747 — a 747-8F freighter delivered to Atlas Air on 31 January 2023 — ended 54 years of production. The last passenger 747 (a 747-8I) was delivered to Korean Air in 2017. Freighter variants thrive: the 747-8F and 747-400F remain among the most capable all-cargo jets, operated by UPS, FedEx, Atlas Air, and Cargolux. The 747 carried more passengers than any other aircraft type in history before its gradual retirement.

Boeing 747 — safety & facts

Safety record

Recorded occurrences: 445
Hull losses: 1
Fatal accidents: 35
Total fatalities: 2,026
Records span: 1974–2026

Based on 445 occurrences across NTSB, ASN, MAK, ATSB & Wikidata records. See full safety record →

Key facts

Manufacturer: Boeing
Typical seats: 410-524 pax
Range: 14,816 km
First flight: 1969-02

Last fatal hull loss: 2017 View full safety record →

Color reflects time since the last recorded fatal hull-loss involving this type, drawn from public datasets (NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Wikidata). It is not a commercial safety rating and does not normalise for flights flown, hours, or fleet size — for those, see the manufacturer or IATA Safety Report.

Notable events

1996-11-12 — Saudi Arabian Airlines — 349 fatalities. Source.
1996-07-17 — Trans World Airlines - TWA — 230 fatalities. Source.
1997-08-06 — Korean Air — 228 fatalities. Source.
2002-05-25 — China Airlines — 225 fatalities. Source.
2000-10-31 — Singapore Airlines — 83 fatalities. Source.

Variants

747-400 — Most successful 747 variant with over 690 built.
747-8 — Final and largest 747 variant.

Recent airline activity

Observed 312 active routes flown by 10 airlines in the last 30 days.

Operators: CLX (56), Atlas Air (56), UPS (56), Cathay Pacific (39), Lufthansa (30)

Top routes: CTU–HKG, ATL–LUX, LUX–CWB, UIO–MIA, TPE–ICN

Based on live ADS-B observations collected by FlightFinder, as of 2026-06-04.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Boeing 747 safe?: For its era the 747 had an industry-standard safety record; early variants suffered higher hull-loss rates that improved significantly with the 747-400. The Tenerife disaster (1977) and JAL 123 (1985) are the two deadliest aviation accidents ever recorded, but both involved external factors (ATC miscommunication and improper repair) rather than inherent airframe flaws. Modern 747 freighter variants have a strong safety record.
How many fatal Boeing 747 accidents have there been?: Across all 747 variants since 1970, there have been over 60 hull losses with fatalities. The deadliest events are Tenerife (583), JAL 123 (520), TWA 800 (230), and Korean Air 007 (269). Most fatal 747 accidents occurred with older -100, -200, and -SP variants now retired from passenger service.
Which airline has the largest 747 fleet?: Among freighter operators, Atlas Air and UPS Airlines are the largest 747 operators with around 50 aircraft each. In passenger service, Korean Air remains one of the last major operators of the 747-8I. Lufthansa was the launch customer for the 747-8I but retired its fleet in 2023.
What's the difference between the 747-400 and 747-8?: The 747-8 (Intercontinental for passengers, 8F for freight) is stretched by 5.6 metres compared to the 747-400, carries roughly 50 more passengers, and uses GEnx-2B engines delivering approximately 16% better fuel efficiency. The 747-8 also has a redesigned upper deck and winglets, while the 747-400 had distinctive winglets introduced on the -400 variant.
How many seats does a Boeing 747 have?: A typical three-class 747-400 seats around 416 passengers; British Airways operated a four-class 747-400 with 345 seats. The 747-8I in Lufthansa's configuration seats 364 in four classes. In high-density single-class charter layouts, the 747-400 can seat over 600 passengers.
When was the Boeing 747 introduced?: The 747-100 entered commercial service with Pan American World Airways on 22 January 1970, on the New York–London route. The first 747 flight took place on 9 February 1969 from Everett, Washington. The most recent variant, the 747-8I, entered service with Lufthansa in June 2012.

Where the Boeing 747 flies — and what it costs

Route	Median fare	Sample size
Hong Kong → Shanghai	€130	732 quotes
Hong Kong → Singapore	€129	405 quotes
Los Angeles → Frankfurt	€516	340 quotes
Boston → Frankfurt	€482	274 quotes
San Francisco → Frankfurt	€516	198 quotes
Newark → Frankfurt	€468	173 quotes
San Francisco → Seoul	€661	125 quotes
New York → Hong Kong	€1131	109 quotes
Chicago → Seoul	€900	58 quotes
Paris → Hong Kong	€1120	57 quotes

Top routes by sample size from the last ~30 days.

Fly on the Boeing 747

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