The hump on the Boeing 747 or “Jumbo Jet” has been around since the 1960s, but why was it there in the first place?

According to Tech Insider, to understand why the iconic hump exists, you should know that the plane is used for both passengers and cargo.

When the plane was first designed to help with storage needs, engineers turned the front of the plane into a giant door. But because the cockpit is also located at the front of the plane, the structure looks like it has a hump.

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Flights are shown cancelled on a screen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport domestic terminal in Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. Cancellations at the Atlanta airport got worse over the weekend, as about 370 flights were canceled Saturday and about another 470 more by Sunday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

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Passengers wait at a Delta check-in counter at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. It was the first day the Federal Aviation Administration cut flight capacity at airports during the government shutdown. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com