Source: based on data available from “Orders and Deliveries”, www.boeing.com.
The deliveries of 747s are characterized by cycles representing the introduction of a new variant. Although the 747 was initially designed primarily for the transatlantic market (the 747-100 had a range of about 9,500 km), it ultimately became the definitive transpacific carrier. After introducing the long-range Boeing 747-400 in the late 1980s (range of about 13,000 km), which made it suitable for non-stop transpacific services, Asian carriers accounted for the majority of B747 sales. The last 747-400 was delivered in 2009, which marked the end of the business cycle of the series. In 2011, the first deliveries of the 747-8, a new generation of the series, took place. The 747-8 comes both as a cargo and passenger version. Boeing announced that it will cease to deliver 747s by 2022, marking the production end of this line of aircraft. 747s are expected to remain in service into the 2030s, mostly for cargo. For instance, British Airways retired its 747 fleet in 2020.