Why Airlines Are Ditching Four Engines
Why Airlines Are Ditching Four EnginesEngines.
With the end of production of the Airbus A380 and the ongoing retirement of Boeing 747s, are we seeing the end of four engine aircraft? In this article, we take a look at the story of four versus two engines, and why it seems airlines are switching to two.
The four engine jet – where it all started
Looking back to the first jet aircraft, four engines certainly used to more common than two. The first jet aircraft to be introduced in 1952 was the de Havilland Comet. This was a four engine aircraft (also referred to as a quadjet), as was the very successful Boeing 707 that followed it in 1958.
Others quadjets included the Douglas DC8 and the joint British / French built Concorde. Perhaps the most famous though was the Boeing 747, introduced in 1970 and the most successful wide body jet to date. Over 1,500 have been produced, and are still being rolled out – although well reduced.
