@ San Francisco, CA
March 2024
A Lufthansa 747 lifts off from SFO, a rare sight here as only a few international carriers still operate the Queen of the Skies on routes to San Francisco. Lufthansa operates 19 of these newer -8I (Intercontinental) models, along with eight of the older 747-400 aircraft, and has flown 747s in their fleet since 1970. First flown in 2010, the 747-8 is the third generation of the 747, with a lengthened fuselage, redesigned wings, new engines, and improved efficiency. Intended to fill a niche between the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777-300ER, demand for the 747-8I has been chiefly for the 747-8F (Freighter), which accounts for the majority of 747-8 aircraft ordered. Production of the 747 finally ended in December 2022 with the final 747-8F delivered to Atlas Air.
