The four engines of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet burn approximately 10 to 11 tonnes of fuel an hour when in the cruise. This equates to roughly 1 gallon (approximately 4 litres) of fuel every second. It can carry a maximum of 238,604 liters of fuel and it has a range of about 7,790 nautical miles. A Jumbo Jet (Boeing 747-400) flying from London to New York burns approximately 70,000 kilograms of fuel. Jet fuel has an approximate specific gravity of 0.85, which therefore equates to 82,353 litres. Therefore, the cost of the fuel (based on 1 litre costing 31 pence) required to fly from London to New York is approximately £18,500 (€23,600). The cost of fuel for a a jumbo jet carrying 450 passengers, would work out as about £41 (€52) per person. The worldwide Jumbo Jet fleets are getting smaller with none now in operational service with UK airlines. Both UK 747 operators retired their B747 fleet earlier than planned due to the reduction in travel demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Some airlines continue to operate the B747-8, the latest passenger version of the Jumbo Jet, such as Lufthansa. Boeing plans on stopping production of the Jumbo in 2022. Did you find this article interesting? You might be interested in: How much does jet fuel cost?How Much Fuel Does a Jumbo Jet Burn?
Dwindling Numbers