Flying off into the sunset
Delta’s last 747 heads to the “boneyard.”
ABOARD DELTA FLIGHT 9771 FROM ATLANTA – Passengers wrote on the cabin walls. There was free champagne for all on board. And there was a wedding in economy class.
Delta Flight 9771 was anything but ordinary, and that was by design.
The Jan. 3 flight from the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta to a salvage yard in Arizona marked the last time Boeing’s 747 jumbo jet would fly for a U.S. passenger airline.
Delta operated its final regularly scheduled flight on the jet in mid-December. This 747 then flew sports charters, the last of which carried the Clemson University football team home to South Carolina following a bowl game in New Orleans on Jan 2.
With that, there was only one mission left for Delta’s last remaining 747: a flight to the “boneyard,” where retiring planes are sent to be stored or scrapped. On board were just 48 people: flight crew, media and other Delta employees and family members with ties to the 747.
Long run for historic plane
In November, United Airlines had a similar retirement procession for its last
747, ending with a sold-out, retrothemed flight from San Francisco to Hawaii. United took its first version of the jet in 1970, the year the 747 made its debut in airline fleets.
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 Pacific — have retired their 747s recently.
British Airways — the world’s largest remaining operator of the 747 — will phase out the 36 planes still in its fleet by early 2024.
The move away from the four-engined 747 comes as newer fuel-efficient two-engine 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 wide-body 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.
747 led to vows
The in-flight ceremony joined Delta
747 flight attendant Holly Rick and Delta 747 pilot Gene Peterson, who fittingly met nine years ago while working on 747 military charter flight in the Middle East.
The couple considered several spots for their wedding but ultimately chose the so-called “Queen of the Skies.”
Aisles in Delta’s economy section were gussied up with white lace bunting and rose petals.
The bulkhead separating Delta’s Economy Comfort seating from business class doubled as a backstop for the altar.
“This is my dream wedding,” Rick said. “I’m on my favorite place to be in the world.”
On the 747’s upper deck, another Delta flight attendant stood, taking in the moment with friends and co-workers.
Nancy Cobb said she has been on the
747 before. Many times. Somehow, she says, she ended up working the 747 on her first-ever flight for Northwest Orient back in 1985. The carrier — later Northwest Airlines — merged with Delta in 2008.
“I’ve spent my whole life flying this plane,” said Cobb, who is now based in Detroit.
But on this flight, there was just one more day to savor the iconic 747.
“She’s special to us,” Cobb said.