Delta employees, customers and aviation enthusiasts have been eagerly flying the airline’s remaining Boeing 747-400s since Delta said in 2014 that it would retire the Queen of the Skies at the end of 2017. Gallaher flew the jumbo down to 20 feet on its final pass over the runway. So I enjoyed the heck out of my one flight on the top deck of a 747. Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced on Thursday that the airline will permanently retire its Boeing 777 fleet by the end of the year. "Eight thousand [feet] makes us pucker," said Hanlon. This seat density paired with the 747s long flying range made far-flung destinations both attainable and affordable. #21202753. Gallaher, Hanlon's friend of more than 30 years, was a first officer on the first 747-400 delivered to Northwest Airlines in 1989. According to Bastian, the decision was made due to the drop in travel demand caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. By comparison, one of the longest runways at Narita Airport in Tokyo is more than 13,000 feet long, while tiny LaGuardia Airport in New York City is 7,000 feet. Simple, really. And with DL only … On the 747’s upper deck, another Delta flight attendant stood, taking in the moment with friends and co-workers. Not only is the actual labo… It could fly just as far, and airlines didn't have to worry about filling all the seats. It carried on using its 747-400s right up until 2017. The retirement marks the end of a 50-year relationship between BA and the 747, ... (recreating the route of its first 747 service in 1970). The 747-400, a 1980s technology update to the jumbo, dates itself. "Everybody stands up at the terminal and goes to the glass and they go 'that's a 747'," said Capt. Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) as planned, retired three ex-Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-400s on September 30: N671US (fleet number 6311) performed its last revenue flight on September 30 from Paris (CDG) to Detroit as flight DL 99. Korean Air has a fleet of two Boeing 747-400s. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to retire older A320s instead? By providing your email, you agree to the Quartz Privacy Policy. Delta Air Lines became the last major US airline to operate the 747. I was told by a 747 pilot for delta airlines that the 747 will be retired on some month that starts with a J the 31st. The 747 had two stints with Delta. As part of its plan to retire its aging Boeing 747-400 fleet in the next few years, Qantas Airways has sent another one of its 747s to the Mojave Desert for a permanent rest. RIP my queen. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is bringing forward the retirement of its last few Boeing 747 passenger aircraft amid the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. His final time at the controls of a Delta 747. I’ve outlined five reasons, some stated, some conjecture on my part, to explain this unexpected move. Northwest later merged with Delta. Delta has only just begun retiring its B747 from service, but did so last month with the first of its B747 retirements after the aircraft flew from Tokyo Narita to Honolulu. These planes are typically operated on long-haul international flights and are equipped with some of the best of Delta’s business elite seats. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to retire older A320s instead? According to Business Insider, he explained that it had started to become a struggle to maintain. Delta’s 747 jumbo jets can hold 376 passengers. Gallaher, 64, was retiring with the 747 fleet. Delta Air Lines surprised us all yesterday by announcing it would retire its Boeing 777 fleet by the end of 2020. Delta. Delta operates the 747 in the US for the longest. Photo: Delta Air Lines Hard to maintain. The global 747 fleet peaked at more than 1,000 in 1998. "Jerking gear" is a pilot euphemism for flying co-pilot and controlling the landing gear. Reviewing paperwork, programming the flight computers and ensuring the jumbo would perform just as it would on any normal flight. American carriers who used to operate the Boeing 747 included American Airlines, Delta and United. According to several media reports, KLM will retire its 747s in 2021. Pan American Airways debuted the enormous two-deck airliner in January 1970, and flights by US passenger airlines have been flying uninterrupted ever since. Flight computers with green type on black screens and blocks of backup gauges with spinning needles have long been obsolete. Stephen Hanlon, 62, Delta's chief 747 pilot, who was in command of the final flight. It only announced the retirement in the summer of 2014 when it said it would use the Airbus A350 and A330neo to replace the 747s. Ship 6314 left the ground for the last time in Atlanta weighing a spritely 518,000 pounds, about 20% of which was jet fuel. Delta, the only remaining U.S. passenger airline to fly the 747, is retiring the plane from its fleet and taking the “Queen of the Skies” on a farewell tour with a stop in Atlanta. ", There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. In addition, as Quartz reported last month, the rate at which airlines are flying new flights with the A380, known as a “super jumbo jet,” is also at its lowest ever—which means the plane could also one day meet the same fate as the 747. The planes are at a 'boneyard' in Arizona, a salvage facility where planes are sent to be stored. British Airways retired its last two Boeing Co. 747 airliners, marking the end of the line for one of the largest fleets of the iconic jumbos. Why did Delta retire the 737-700? But now low-cost long-haul carriers like Norwegian have proven that passengers will not only tolerate it, but flock to it (if the price is right). After 27 years of service — first with Northwest Airlines — then with Delta after the two airlines merged in 2008, it was time to retire Ship 6301 last year. The retirement will accelerate the airline’s strategy to simplify and modernize its fleet, while continuing to operate newer, more cost-efficient aircraft. Gallaher made the first commercial landing of the 747-400 when it arrived at the airline's then-headquarters in Minneapolis after delivery from Boeing. Currently Delta has only 16 747s in their fleet. Delta Air Lines announced plans to retire 25% of its 747 fleet in 2014. On Thursday, Delta separately announced significant cutbacks to its Pacific operations. Following the retirement of its 18 777s, Delta’s long-haul routes will be flown exclusively by the company’s A330s and A350-900s. UA857. Delta Plans to Celebrate the Retirement of Their 747-400 Fleet. Kick off each morning with coffee and the Daily Brief (BYO coffee). So once we get on the ground, you're going to feel the deceleration.". © 2021 Quartz Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The bulk of the fleet is old, and getting older. On the whole, commercial airlines have been phasing out jumbo jets like the 747 in favor of leaner, more efficient aircrafts. We’ve seen airlines around the world retire the 747 long before the current pandemic, given that there are more fuel efficient and lower capacity long range planes nowadays.. We don’t have a date yet for the phaseout, but we know the day of the final flight of a unique 747 model that KLM is the only airline flying in the world: a half-cargo, half-passenger hybrid known as the Combi. We don’t have a date yet for the phaseout, but we know the day of the final flight of a unique 747 model that KLM is the only airline flying in the world: a half-cargo, half-passenger hybrid known as the Combi. I later confirmed January by looking on Delta.com. The retirement will accelerate the airline’s strategy to simplify and modernize its fleet, while continuing to operate newer, more cost-efficient aircraft. These aircraft are all less than 12 years old. Photo: Delta Air Lines Hard to maintain. KLM first introduced the 747 in 1971, at that time a 747-200, and was therefore originally planning to end its history with the aircraft type exactly 50 years later, in 2021. of . Delta Air Lines. Hanlon led the final walk-around inspection. "He had the first landing and I'm going to have the last landing," said Hanlon, who has been a 747 captain since spring 2000, Gallaher was just a few months ahead. Another senior Delta captain, Paul Gallaher, was making his final flight, too. Delta Air Lines announced plans to retire 25% of its 747 fleet in 2014. These are some of our most ambitious editorial projects. Delta is expected to release details soon. Yet on a planet that previously only the richest could cross at will, the 747’s most lasting impact may have been on everyday notions of distance and difference. Delta retired its last 747 passenger plane in January, marking the final flight by a U.S. carrier. Tour a Boeing 747 at the Delta Flight Museum. The UK airline is the world's largest operator of the jumbo jets, with 31 in the fleet. Delta is the last U.S. passenger airline to fly the jumbo jet dubbed the “Queen of the Skies.” The 747 fleet is set to be retired by the end of 2017. 747s are operating in august so it isn't July. Unlike Fincher, Nancy Cobb said she’s been on the 747 before. Steve Hanlon, the airline's chief 747 Pilot, was in command of the flight. The final commercial flight of a Boeing 747-400 operated by a US carrier hit the tarmac in Detroit today. Why did Delta retire NWA's 747-200Fs that they were operating? Delta, the only remaining U.S. passenger airline to fly the 747, is retiring the plane from its fleet and taking the “Queen of the Skies” on a farewell tour with a stop in Atlanta. The reason behind this short-notice decision for an early retirement is the Coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis and resulting travel restrictions around the world. Both Delta and United Airlines have been saying goodbye to the jumbo for months. The last of the airline's 16 jumbo Boeing 747-400s flew to a desert retirement, ending. It only announced the retirement in the summer of 2014 when it said it would use … These are the core obsessions that drive our newsroom—defining topics of seismic importance to the global economy. Delta has been american avgeeks last hope involving the queen. Those last trips became more of a farewell tour than a formal end. You have no notifications. When Delta retires its final 747, it’ll mark the end of four-engine aircraft in US passenger service (three-engine aircraft have been out of fleets for years). Delta Air Lines became the last major US airline to operate the 747. The 747 was a marvel of engineering when it first flew months before the first moon landing in 1969. Delta Air Lines is giving customers and employees a chance to fly on the Boeing 747 before the carrier retires the fleet. Last edited by blacksoviet on Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:08 pm, edited 1 time in total. A final domestic revenue flight, a last international trip, a final charter. Furthermore, three Airbus A340-300, which were operated by Lufthansa Cityline, would also be retired permanently. Thai Airways has a fleet of seven 747-400 aircraft. Delta ordered the Boeing 737-900(ER) three times—100 planes in August 2011, further 20 in December 2015, and 10 more in April 2017. The Jumbo ferried to Marana, Arizona on September 30 as flight DL 9950 for final disposition. That’s 30 years ago. United Airlines will retire its fleet of Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets by the end of 2017. It took a full 15 minutes to walk around the 231-foot, 10-inch long jumbo. Delta has announced their plans to retire the last of their 747 fleet by 2017. The remaining 747s still in the air that are operated by US airlines are represented by a few charter jets and cargo operators. As a result, the German airline indicated that it would retire some of its biggest gas-guzzlers. In many ways, it was a symbol of the beginning of mass air travel, offering anywhere from just over 400 to more than 600 seats, depending on the cabin configuration. 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