The sun has set on United's 747 operations

United today ended 747-400 service, with a final revenue passenger flight from San Francisco to Honolulu.

Like most US Majors in the early 1970s, it was a must have to acquire 747-100s as an airline's flagship aircraft, typically used on premium coast to coast domestic service (United, American & Delta), with Pan Am, TWA and Northwest operating the type on key transatlantic and transpacific routes.

Many also went on to acquire new or used 747-200s, as well as 747-SPs, the latter acquired by United when it took over Pan Am's transpacific routes. No 747-300s were ever ordered or operated by US airlines.

The aircraft proved too large though, with most phased out of domestic service by the mid-70s, and replaced by tri-jet DC-10s and L-1011s (which were also too large initially). Braniff alone stuck with narrow bodies for domestic routes, which turned out to be strategically the correct decision at the time.

The second generation, and most important 747 of the last two decades was the 747-400, ordered in significant quantities by United and Northwest.

Boeing 747-422 MSN 24322 L/N 733 F/F 5/25/89
United Airlines N171UA "Spirit of Seattle II" 6/30/89 - 10/26/15

N171UA was the first -400 delivered to United, seen above in original delivery colors, the first of four liveries this aircraft would carry during it's 26 year career.

N171UA in United's new 1990s livery

United took delivery of 44 747-400s, the final delivery being in May 2000. All were model 747-422s, with the exception of two 747-451s, built for Northwest, but sold new to United.

United's 2000s livery

This livery was relatively short lived, as following the 2011 merger with Continental, the latter's color scheme was selected for the 'new' United.

N171UA - final United / Continental livery

The post 9/11 world saw United make adjustments to it's fleet, and the 747-400 did not escape a reduction. By 2015, 31 were in service, 25 by 2010, and 22 by 2015. N171UA was retired in October 2015.

N171UA in permanent retirement at Tupelo, MS. Others have been retired at Victorville, CA while 13 have gone on to serve other airlines.

United has replaced the 747-400 with 777-300ERs and 787-9s

Garuda retires the 747-400

Garuda Indonesia has retired it's last Boeing 747-400, ending it's association with the type, and it's classic predecessor. The airline's 747-200Bs were retired in late 2003, leaving three -400s. Two were acquired new by Garuda in 1994, while a third used aircraft (ex-Varig) was leased from ILFC between 1995 and 2012. The 777-300ER has replaced the 747-400 at Garuda.

Boeing 747-4U3 MSN 25705 L/N 1029 F/F 4/27/94
Garuda Indonesia PK-GSH 5/27/94 to 10/6/17

Garuda - Current Fleet
16 x ATR-42/72
18 x CRJ-1000
73 x 737-800
7 x A330-200
17 x A330-300
10 x 777-300ER
Total: 141

Friday Feature

The "Queen of the Skies" slipping into retirement...Boeing 747-400 fleet update

747-451 MSN 23719 L/N 696 N401PW Boeing. 747-400 First Flight April 29th 1988. This aircraft would go on to become N661US with Northwest, delivered December 8th 1989, the 38th 747-400 delivery

747-451 MSN 23719 L/N 696 N661US Northwest Airlines 12/89 - 1/10 (Merged with Delta)

N661US in new Northwest cs

N661US Delta Air Lines 1/10 - 9/15 Preserved Delta Heritage Museum - Atlanta, GA

Boeing's famous hump backed 747, the first wide body passenger airliner, is slipping slowly into retirement. It's freighter variant is expected to live on well into the future: in the guise of both 747-400Fs, as well as currently in production 747-8Fs. A modest fleet of 747-8I passenger aircraft are also in the early phase of their career with Air China, Lufthansa and Korean Air. This fleet update will focus solely on the 747-400.

523 passenger or combi 747-400s were delivered between September 1988 and April 2005, and were for many years the backbone of long haul services. Nowadays, a visit to any major international airport, will reveal long rows of 777-300ERs, the aircraft that has more than any other effectively replaced the 747-400.

The -400 was a major upgrade on the 747 classic, featuring a two pilot digital cockpit, crew sleeping quarters, performance enhancing winglets and a host of other enhanced features that brought the 747 into a new era.

747-467 MSN 23814 L/N 705 VR-HOO Cathay Pacific Airways 9/88 - 3/10 (Retired Victorville, CA 11/10)

The first delivery was to Cathay Pacific September 26th 1988. Powered by Rolls-Royce engines, it was followed four months later January 26th 1989 with Northwest Airliners (launch customer) receiving it's first Pratt & Whitney powered aircraft.

747-451 MSN 23818 L/N 715 N663US Northwest Airlines (first NWA 747-400 delivered, original colors)

The first General Electric powered aircraft was delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines May 18th 1989.

747-406 MSN 23999 L/N 725 PH-BFA KLM 5/18/89 - 10/16/16 (Retired Teruel, Spain)

The breakdown of deliveries by engine manufacturer is Rolls-Royce 106, Pratt & Whitney 188 and General Electric 229.

Fleet Profile

310 747-400s (passenger or combi variants) were in service by January 1st 1995, and this rose to a peak of 495 by 2006. By 2014 this had reduced to 311, and at the beginning of this year 193 remained in service.

The list below illustrates the change between the major operators at the fleet peak in 2006, versus January 1st this year

1 British Airways 57 / 38
2 Japan Airlines 42 / 0
3 United Airlines 31 / 21
4 Lufthansa 30 / 13
5 Qantas 30 / 11
6 Singapore Airlines 26 / 0
7 Korean Air 24 / 5
8 KLM 22 / 17
9 Cathay Pacific 21 / 0
10 ANA 23 / 0
11 Thai International 18 / 9
12 Malaysia Airlines 17 / 0
13 Northwest Airlines 16 / 7 [Delta]
14 Air France 16 / 0
15 China Airlines 15 / 7
16 EVA Air 15 / 3
17 Air China 12 / 3
18 Virgin Atlantic 12 / 7
19 Air India 13 / 4
20 Air New Zealand 8 / 0
21 Asiana Airlines 8 / 3
22 South African Airways 8 / 0

Eight operators listed above no longer operate the type. This includes Japan Airlines, at that time the second largest 747-400 operator, and the world's largest 747 operator of all types over the entire program history - from the 747-100 through -400. Other notable operators of all 747s that now no longer operate any (excluding freighters) include Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, ANA, Malaysia Airlines, Air France, Air New Zealand and South African Airways.

178 passenger 747-400s remain in service today 9/15 as follows:

1 British Airways 37

G-BNLK MSN 24053 L/N 790 5/90 - current (BA's oldest still in service)

2E United Airlines 14

N104UA MSN 26902 L/N 1141 1/98 - current

2E KLM 14

PH-BFW MSN 30454 L/N 1258 10/00 - current

3 Lufthansa 13

D-ABTK MSN 29871 L/N 1293 12/01 - current

4E Thai International 10

HS-TGA MSN 32369 L/N 1273 5/01 - current

4E Qantas 10

VH-OEJ MSN 32914 L/N 1331 7/03 - current

5 Rossiya 9

EI-XLC MSN 27100 L/N 1236 1/17- current

6 Delta 7

N676NW MSN 33002 L/N 1303 1/10 - current

7E Saudia Arabian 7

TF-AAC MSN 29262 L/N 1199 7/12 - current

7E Virgin Atlantic 7

G-VXLG MSN 29406 L/N 1177 9/98 - current

8 China Airlines 6

B-18207 MSN 29219 L/N 1176 9/98 - current

9E Wamos Air 5

EC-KQC MSN 26949 L/N 1030 12/14 - current

9E El Al 5

4X-ELA MSN 26055 L/N 1027 4/94 - current

10E Air India 4

VT-ESO MSN 27165 L/N 1009 12/93 - current

10E Korean Air 4

HL7402 MSN 26407 L/N 1155 12/98 - current

11 Others 17 (10 operators)

Storage currently totals 80 aircraft. 165 have been permanently retired, while 5 have been written off.

EVA Air ends 747 passenger service

EVA Air (Taiwan) ended Boeing 747-400 passenger services with a final round trip from Taipei to Hong Kong August 21st 2017. The airline's first 747-400s were received in 1992, with a total of five passenger aircraft, and ten Combis delivered overall. The Combi models were retired by 2015. Five 747-400F freighters remain in service. EVA's long haul services are now operated by 35 777-300ERs.

Boeing 747-45E MSN 29111 L/N 1151 EVA Air B-16411 [Delivered April 27th 1998, Retired August 21st 2017]

189 passenger 747-400s remain in service.