United bids farewell to 747
Airline’s ‘Queen of the Skies’ takes final flight.
SAN FRANCISCO – It sure didn’t feel like a curtain call. But that’s what it was Tuesday morning at San Francisco International Airport as United Airlines bid farewell to its last Boeing 747.
United Flight 747 took off around noon PT, about an hour later than scheduled because of slow boarding and a maintenance delay, departing from Gate 86 after a de facto party among those ticketed on what went into the books as United’s last-ever passenger flight on the 747.
All on board had booked the flight specifically to be on the last 747 departure, a special one-off flight scheduled by United in September to give the famous jumbo jet a proper farewell.
“It’s a grand finale, no question,” United CEO Oscar Munoz said from the jet’s upper deck just before takeoff. “It’s a fitting send-off in the most dignified way for the ‘Queen of the Skies.’ ”
Tickets for the 374-seat jet sold out in hours, despite fares of $550 and up for the one-way flight to Hawaii.
“I had to be here,” said John Vanderford, 56, of Detroit, as he partied with other Flight 747 customers prior to boarding. “I remember flying it as a kid, on this exact route — San Francisco to Honolulu.”
Following Tuesday’s flight, the plane will return empty to San Francisco before making its final flight to an airline “boneyard” in the California desert later this week.
The retirement ends the iconic plane’s 47-year run at United, which took its first version of the jet in 1970. Now, with United’s 747 out of service, Delta is the only U.S. passenger carrier that still flies the jet.
But the Queen of the Skies’ days are numbered there, too.
Delta’s final flight on the 747 also is on the horizon. Delta’s last flight on the plane will come next month, meaning no U.S. carrier will by flying the aircraft into 2018. Like United, Delta’s last 747 also will head to a southwestern salvage yard, likely in early 2018.
The trend extends beyond U.S. shores as the passenger version of the
747 faces flagging fortunes elsewhere. A number of other global airlines — including Air France and Hong Kong’s Cathay — have recently retired their
747s.
Just this week, British Airways — the world’s largest remaining operator of the 747 — confirmed its plans to begin phas- ing out the jet.
The move away from the four-engine 747 comes as newer fuel-efficient twoengine models have gained favor among the world’s airlines. Increasingly, carriers have looked to Boeing’s 777 and 787 or Airbus’ A350 and A330 when buying new widebody jets.
The outlook isn’t all doom and gloom for the 747, however. The freighter version of the jet remains a staple for some U.S. cargo carriers, such as UPS and Atlas Air. And a handful of foreign carriers with recent orders for passenger 747s are likely to maintain scheduled service on the jumbo jet at least through the next decade. But for passenger flights on U.S. airlines, the end is near.
“It’s bittersweet. This is an airplane that redefined travel,” said Henry Harteveldt, a longtime veteran of the airline industry who now runs the Atmosphere travel consultancy.