Back From The Boneyard: How Retired Boeing 747s Became One Of America’s Most Sought-After Freighters

For years, the Boeing 747 appeared to be heading toward a quiet and predictable retirement, with airlines around the world rapidly replacing the iconic quadjet with newer twin-engine aircraft that burned less fuel and required fewer crew members to operate on long-haul routes. Passenger demand for the giant aircraft steadily declined during the late 2010s and accelerated even further throughout the pandemic, when carriers permanently parked large portions of their widebody fleets in desert storage facilities across the world.