How much does a Boeing 747 cost?
Boeing 747, known to many as the Queen of the Skies is Boeing’s iconic aircraft, one of the most popular commercial airliners of all time, with over 1500 units built in passenger, cargo and military variants.
The list price of a Boeing 747-8 was $418.8 million as presented by Boeing in 2022, but the last 747 was delivered in January 2023 to Atlas Air, and the aircraft is no longer in production, so only used Boeing 747s are available for purchase. However, the price for the Queen of the Skies differs greatly depending on the 747 variant, the age of the aircraft and its condition, and many other aspects. That said, let’s take a look at how much a Boeing 747 costs.
The price of a brand new Boeing 747
As mentioned above, the last Boeing 747, a cargo 747-8 was delivered on January 31, 2023 to Atlas Air. Its manufacture has been stopped so currently only pre-owned 747 aircraft can be purchased.
Important to note is that the price quoted by Boeing for a 747 is not the same price that airlines were paying on purchase, it was sold at discounts depending on the relationship between Boeing and the respective airline and the size of the order, so the actual price airlines were paying for a new Boeing 747 was a closely guarded secret. That said, let’s see how much a new Boeing 747 cost.
Boeing 747-100
The Boeing 747-100 was the first variant of the 747 series and was introduced in 1970 with Pan American Airways. A total of 167 of the 168 747-100s built were delivered, with Boeing retaining the prototype aircraft. In 1972, the price for a new Boeing 747-100 was $24 million ($155.5 million today) according to wikipedia.
Boeing 747SP
The Boeing 747SP was introduced in 1976 with Pan Am and Iran Air, 6 years later than the first 747 variant. A total of 45 such aircraft were built. The list price for a Boeing 747SP was $23 million in 1976 ($121 million today).
Boeing 747-200
The Boeing 747-200 was introduced in January 1971 and was manufactured in multiple variants: passenger (-200B), freighter (-200F), convertible (-200C), as well as military variants. A total of 393 of these aircraft were built before production ended in 1991. In 1976 a new Boeing 747-200 cost $39 million ($205.1 million today).
Boeing 747-300
The Boeing 747-300 was first delivered to Swissair in March 1983 for the price of $83 million, about $257 million today. It was noticeably different from the earlier variants, having a much longer upper deck. A total of 81 Boeing 747-300s were delivered in both cargo and passenger variants.
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 was introduced in February 1989 with Northwest Airlines, and by the time production stopped in 2007, 694 of these aircraft had been delivered. It was built in multiple variants: passenger, freighter, domestic, combi and extended range. When introduced in 1989, the Boeing 747-400 cost $156 million ($376.4 million in today’s money).
Boeing 747-8
The Boeing 747-8 was introduced in 2012 with Lufthansa, and by the time the programme ended in December 2022, 155 of them have been built. The list price for a Boeing 747-8 in the passenger variant was $410.2 million in 2022, while the cargo variant was slightly more expensive at $418.4 million.
The price of a pre-owned Boeing 747
The price of a pre-owned Boeing 747 varies greatly depending on its condition, variant and number of flight hours. Below is a table with the estimated price for each pre-owned Boeing 747 variant.
| Pre-owned Boeing 747 variant | Estimated Price |
|---|---|
| Boeing 747-100 | $4.6 million |
| Boeing 747-200 | $6.5 million |
| Boeing 747-300 | $7.5 million |
| Boeing 747-400 | $20 million |
| Boeing 747-8 | $250 million |
Sources: Aircraft Cost Calculator ; Wikipedia ; Statista
