UAE | Emergencies
The history of the Boeing 707
The four engined plane dominated the 1960s and is largely credited with really bringing in a new era for air travel.
- By Adam Flinter, Hub Editor
- Published: 18:11 October 21, 2009
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
- The Boeing 707 was first flown in 1957
The Boeing 707 was America’s first foray into the world of commercial jet planes and dominated the world of air travel in the 1960s.
While it wasn’t the first jet airliner - it was first flown in 1957, five years after the de Havilland Comet - the four engined plane is largely credited with really bringing in a new era for air travel.
It’s heyday was in the 1960s when it utterly dominated the market and helped Boeing become a major player in the aviation industry.
However, it was precisely this ability to bring travel to masses that caused the demise of the much loved 707.
Passenger demand grew at an enormous rate and as a result aircraft manufacturers came under pressure to develop larger planes.
The 707, with it’s single aisle configuration, began to fall out of favour in the 1970s after Boeing introduced the now legendary 747.
The last US airline stopped flying 707s in 1983, and had been phased out by most Western airlines by the mid 80s.
Of the 1,010 planes which were built by Boeing, little more than 60 remain in active service.
Almost all of those are operated by cargo carriers. In fact there is only one 707 (operated by Iran’s Saha' Airlines) still being flown as a passenger plane.
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