<P> The Boeing 747 is an American wide - body commercial jet airliner and cargo aircraft , often referred to by its original nickname , `` Jumbo Jet '' . Its distinctive `` hump '' upper deck along the forward part of the aircraft makes it among the world 's most recognizable aircraft , and it was the first wide - body produced . Manufactured by Boeing 's Commercial Airplane unit in the United States , the original version of the 747 was envisioned to have 150 percent greater capacity than the Boeing 707 , one of the common large commercial aircraft of the 1960s . First flown commercially in 1970 , the 747 held the passenger capacity record for 37 years . </P>
when was the boeing 747 first used for commerical service
1970