For Airlines, Two Engines Are Better Than Four

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For Airlines, Two Engines Are Better Than Four
By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA Today/ Travel/ Flights/ usatoday.com

"Could the end be near for passenger flights on four-engine jets?

That’s a question Boeing and Airbus may soon have to answer as sales of their four-engine passenger planes languish at the world’s two biggest airline manufacturers.

That Boeing’s humped 747 — perhaps the world’s most-recognizable jet — and Airbus’ mammoth A380 “superjumbo” jet struggle to find traction among passenger airlines may come as a surprise. Having a lifespan measured by decades, the most recent models to roll off assembly lines will probably remain in service for the foreseeable future. But the production of the passenger versions of those jets is in limbo amid a seismic shift in the aviation industry.

Airbus has received 317 orders — and none since 2016 — for its massive A380. By contrast, its new twin-engine A350 — which first began flying for airlines in 2015 — has racked up nearly 850 orders....."

Richard

 

[Talent312]

This got me to wondering what airlines flew 747's.
From a list at Wikipedia, I culled this list of well-known passenger airlines...
British Airways — 36
Cathay Pacific — 20
Delta Air Lines — 7
El Al — 7
KLM — 15
Korean Air — 30
Lufthansa — 32
Norwegian — 1
Qantas — 11
United Airlines — 15
UPS Airlines — 13
Virgin Atlantic — 8
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boeing_747_operators

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