In its first year, a fully-loaded 747 cut the cost of flying a passenger by half, making flying much more accessible to more people. The jumbo also allowed airlines to reach new destinations, while achieving greater profitability by lowering operating costs per seat. It has to be said that the 747 pretty much ruled the skies for the next four decades, during which the big Boeing was joined in the long-haul wide-body market by offerings from McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed and Airbus.
Transoceanic and long-distance routes were exclusively covered by the 747 and its fellow three or four-engined wide-body jumbos, not least because, when it came to the engine count on an airliner, the thinking was that there was safety in numbers. Not to mention that the jumbo jets could carry the most passengers. In late 1971, Boeing followed up the original 747-100 with a new 200 variant which boasted more powerful engines and a longer range, making it more cost