Saturday, January 18, 2014

ANA Boeing 747-400D JA8966 leaves Japan.

All Nippon Airways' (NH/ANA) Boeing 747-481/D JA8966, which operated its last revenue flight on January 6th (ANA retires JA8966; only two B747-400Ds remain.), took off from Japanese soil for the last time on January 16th, at 2119 local time.
JA8966 makes its final takeoff from Runway 34R, with Tokyo Gate Bridge in the background. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Manufactured on July 12, 1995, JA8966 had plied domestic skies in Japan ever since delivery. In its final weeks, it operated most of ANA's 'Satogaeri Flights', where the B747-400D made one final visit to destinations the type formerly served, as part of the airline's 'Final 747: Thanks Jumbo!' series of events marking the retirement of the 'Queen of the Skies'. It flew to Komaki (KMQ/RJNK) on November 10th, Hiroshima (HIJ/RJOA) on November 17th, Nagoya/Chubu Centrair (NGO/RJGG) on November 22nd, Kagoshima (KOJ/RJFK) on December 1st, and Nagasaki (NGS/RJFU) on December 8th.

Via Anchorage (ANC/PANC), JA8966 was ferried as flight NH9432 from Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT) to Tupelo (TUP/KTUP) in Mississippi, U.S., where buyer Universal Asset Management will dismantle it for spare parts. ANA's B747 fleet is now down to only two; JA8960 and JA8961. The final revenue flight is planned for March 31st on a Haneda - Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH) round-trip. ANA will also deploy the type one last time on the Haneda - Fukuoka (FUK/RJFF) and Haneda - Sapporo/New Chitose (CTS/RJCC) routes one day before on March 30th.

Source: Aviation Wire (in Japanese)

No comments:

Post a Comment