Boeing 747 ~ Happy Birthday to the Big Jumbo!

The BBC's John Strickland celebrates Four Decades of a Flying Giant, the birthday of the Boeing 747... Notes Strickland...

"Since that first flight, the 747 has fulfilled the faith of its designers and has led to reductions in air fares, opening up air travel to many in a way that was previously unimaginable. This has been made possible by the economies of scale which a larger aircraft can offer. In simple terms the overall costs of operating an aircraft with, say 400 seats, are typically not double those of an aircraft with 200 seats. In effect, the cost per seat is reduced."