Nuremberg Airport: Boeing 747 first landed in July 1970

The US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has delivered the last 747 aircraft - more than 50 years after the first launch. The "Queen of the Skies" with the distinctive hump on its back completed its maiden flight on February 9, 1969, the premiere in Nuremberg followed in July 1970.

At the beginning of the 70s, Boeing revolutionized passenger aviation with the 747, because the jumbo offered a doubling of passenger capacity and a previously unknown sense of space. There was even a lounge with a bar on the upper deck for first-class passengers.

20.000 spectators at the airport

Lufthansa received the first of three 747-130 versions in March 1970, to be used on the busiest long-haul routes. At that time, Nuremberg was often used as a training airfield for overflights. The Boeing 747 was officially presented to the Nuremberg public on July 12, 1970.

The well-announced event attracted crowds of visitors in the best summer weather. The airport restaurant was already full by lunchtime and the police had their hands full directing the convoys of vehicles in an orderly manner. When the giant bird, coming from Stuttgart, landed in the late afternoon, around 20.000 spectators on the airport grounds and the adjacent meadows and fields created a folk festival atmosphere. Around 350 invited guests from business and politics, including the then Mayor of Nuremberg, Dr. Urschlechter, as well as tourists from the region had the opportunity to experience the new feeling of flying up close during a 30-minute scenic flight over southern Bavaria. In the evening, the jumbo flew back to its home base in Frankfurt.

Also in the future a welcome guest

The latest variant 747-8, which took off for the first time in 2011, has been stretched to around 76 meters compared to the original version and, depending on the configuration, can carry more than 500 passengers almost 15.000 kilometers. The jumbo will continue to be admired in Nuremberg in the future. Although the long-haul jet does not operate as scheduled from Nuremberg Airport, it is occasionally a welcome guest on the apron, in the passenger version or as a cargo aircraft.