Qantas Airways announced its final Boeing 747-400 flight departed Sydney on July 22, marking the end of service of its Boeing 747 jumbo jet fleet. 

The flag carrier of Australia Qantas brought forward the scheduled retirement of the fleet by six months after the coronavirus pandemic impacted international travel.

The final 747-400 in the fleet (registration VH-OEJ) will depart Sydney at 2 pm as flight number QF7474, bringing to an end five decades of history-making moments for the national carrier and aviation in Australia.

Qantas brought forward the scheduled retirement of the fleet by six months after the COVID-19 pandemic decimated international travel globally.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the 747 changed the face of Australian aviation and ushered in a new era of lower fares and non-stop flights.

“It’s hard to overstate the impact that the 747 had on aviation and a country as far away as Australia. It replaced the 707, which was a huge leap forward in itself but didn’t have the sheer size and scale to lower airfares the way the 747 did. That put international travel within reach of the average Australian and people jumped at the opportunity,” Joyce said.

“This aircraft was well ahead of its time and extremely capable. Engineers and cabin crew loved working on them and pilots loved flying them. So did passengers. They have carved out a very special place in aviation history and I know they’ll be greatly missed by a lot of people, including me.

More fuel-efficient planes to take over

“Time has overtaken the 747 and we now have a much more fuel-efficient aircraft with an even better range in our fleet, such as the 787 Dreamliner that we use on Perth-London and hopefully before too long, the Airbus A350 for our Project Sunrise flights non-stop to New York and London,” Joyce added.

Qantas took delivery of its first 747 (a -200 series) in August 1971 – and the airline said this jumbo jet made international travel possible for millions of people for the first time and were at the forefront of several important milestones for the airline, including the first Business Class cabin of any airline in the world, used for numerous rescue missions and flying medical supplies.

The last rescue missions the 747 flew for Qantas were to bring hundreds of stranded Australians home from the COVID-19 epicentre of Wuhan in February this year.

Legacy of the Queen of the Skies 

Qantas said it has flown six different types of the 747, with Boeing increasing the aircraft’s size, range and capability over the years with the advent of new technology and engine types.

Qantas’s first female Captain, Sharelle Quinn, will be in command of the final flight to Los Angeles with a full cargo hold of freight before its final sector to the Mojave.

“I have flown this aircraft for 36 years and it has been an absolute privilege”, Captain Quinn said.

“From the Pope to pop stars, our 747’s have carried over 250 million people safely to their destinations. Over the decades, it’s also swooped in on a number of occasions to save Aussies stranded far from home.”

Captain Quinn added: “It has been a wonderful part of our history, a truly groundbreaking aircraft and while we are sad to see our last one go, it’s time to hand over to the next generation of aircraft that are a lot more efficient.”

The final B-747 flight will do a flyby of Sydney Harbour, CBD and northern and eastern suburbs beaches, as well as a low level, overfly of HARS Museum (Albion Park) where it will dip the wings in a final farewell to Qantas’ first 747-400, which is preserved there.

“The aircraft will then head out over the Pacific Ocean, as the sun sets on a 50-year love affair with Australians and their beloved Queen of The Skies,” Qantas said.

Just last week, British Airways also announced the immediate retirement of its entire Boeing 747 fleet due to the continuing downturn in travel caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This is ahead of their scheduled 2024 phase-out.