Boeing 747 — safety record, routes and airlines
The Boeing 747 — Queen of the Skies — is being retired from passenger service worldwide but still flies select routes with Lufthansa and a few others.
See Boeing 747 routes on the mapA volume that reflects how widely it flies, not how dangerous it is — we do not publish a single safety score for it.
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About the Boeing 747
The 747 defined wide-body flying for four decades and remains instantly recognizable thanks to its upper deck. In 2026, passenger 747 service has almost entirely ended. Lufthansa is the main remaining operator of the 747-8I on select long-haul routes out of Frankfurt, and a small number of other carriers still fly 747-400s on niche flights. The freighter side, especially the 747-400F and 747-8F, remains active with cargo specialists. The final 747 rolled off the Everett line in 2023, closing the production run at 1,574 aircraft.
Who flies it?
Lufthansa is the flagship passenger operator with its 747-8I fleet flying routes like Frankfurt to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, Mumbai, and Buenos Aires. A handful of other carriers retain small 747 fleets for charter or occasional scheduled use, though most have already transitioned to the 777-9, A350, or 787. Cargo carriers including Atlas Air, Cargolux, Kalitta, AirBridgeCargo legacy operations, and UPS continue to rely on the 747-8F for high-volume and outsize freight.
Recent safety events for the Boeing 747
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Frequently asked questions about the Boeing 747
Is the Boeing 747 safe?
The Boeing 747 has 40 occurrences in our most recent five-year window — a volume that reflects how widely it flies, not how dangerous it is, so we do not publish a single safety score for it. It has 65 hull losses and 800 recorded occurrences in total. See the methodology page for how the record is summarized.
Is the 747 still flying passengers in 2026?
Barely, and on a limited number of routes. Lufthansa is the only major operator actively scheduling the 747-8I on long-haul, mostly out of Frankfurt. A very small number of other carriers retain 747-400s for specific uses. Passenger 747 flying is expected to continue shrinking as legacy airframes reach retirement age.
Can I still book a 747 flight?
Yes, if you pick routes operated by Lufthansa out of Frankfurt with the 747-8I, or a handful of other niche services. Equipment swaps do happen, so to guarantee the experience check the aircraft type at booking and again 24 hours before departure. The upper-deck business cabin is a long-time enthusiast favorite on the 747-8I.
How many passengers did the 747 carry?
A typical three-class 747-400 carried around 416 passengers. The 747-8I seats approximately 410 in three classes or up to 467 in denser configurations. High-density charter 747-400 layouts historically reached 580 or more, though those configurations are no longer common in regular passenger service.
Engines
Fleet age (observed)
The observed Boeing 747 fleet averages 8.4 years old, with the oldest flying example N858GT (2011) (sample of 47 tracked aircraft).
Fleet age is not a safety indicator. Sourced from the FAA aircraft registry and OpenSky/ADS-B Exchange metadata; the observed fleet reflects live ADS-B sightings over the last 12 months.
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See how the Boeing 747 compares
Put it side by side with another commercial type — key specs and recorded safety history, not a ranking.
Boeing 747 — safety & facts
Safety record
- Occurrences, last 5 years
- 40
- Airworthiness directives
- 201
- Recorded occurrences
- 800
- Hull losses
- 65
- Fatal accidents
- 55
- Total fatalities
- 5,161
- Records span
- 1969–2026
Based on 800 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