Boeing's 747 jumbo passenger plane is on the way out

Is it the end of the line for the Boeing 747 as a commercial passenger plane?<br/>It sure looks that way for the original jumbo jetliner. Once the largest passenger plane on Earth, the 747 has defined the company more than any other. Boeing earlier this month flew a 747-8 Intercontinental back to the company's base in Washington state from a paint shop in Portland. It was wearing the colors of Korean Air Lines and it is extremely likely that it is the last passenger 747 to ever be built. The airliner, which extends 250-feet and 2-inches long, will be delivered to Korean Air Lines in the coming weeks. Boeing doesn't expect the jumbo jet to make a big comeback. As part of its 20 year forecast, released annually, Boeing said there's no appreciable demand left for building new passenger 747s or for the rival Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane. Instead, it believes airlines will continue to prefer big twin-engine aircraft like its Boeing 777X or Airbus A350. Those smaller planes can now fly just as far as the huge jumbo jets while using less fuel. They also have fewer seats, which makes it easier for airlines to book them up. "Frankly we really don't see much demand for really big airplanes," said Randy Tinseth, Boeing VP of marketing in June. "There will just be a handful moving forward. Things we do for VIPs, things we do for the president, military operations, but we don't see a significant demand for passenger 747-8s or A380s."<br/>