Australian airline Qantas said goodbye to its latest Boeing 747 with a final flourish: drawing its logo, the flying kangaroo, in the sky.
Dozens gathered at Sydney airport on Wednesday to say goodbye to QF7474, writing messages on the body of the plane and reading tributes.
The impact of the virus on travel means that 747 and others were recalled by Qantas six months ahead of schedule.
You will sit in the Mojave Desert of the USA.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact 747 had on aviation and in a country as far away as Australia,” said CEO Alan Joyce.
“This aircraft was well ahead of its time and extremely capable. [It] It put international travel within the reach of the average Australian and people took the opportunity. “
Last month, Qantas said it would cut 6,000 jobs as part of its plans to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Around 150 people gathered to say goodbye to the plane, which also received a water cannon salute. Originally, thousands were expected for a farewell scheduled for the end of the year.
The Qantas 747 fleet has carried more than 250 million people in nearly half a century of service, including Queen Elizabeth II and all Australian Olympic teams since 1984, according to a Reuters report.
Qantas has landed most of its international flights until at least July 2021 due to lack of demand for international travel.
Last week, British Airways announced that it would also withdraw all of its Boeing 747s, adding that it would operate more flights on more efficient aircraft, such as the new Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
BA is the world’s largest jumbo jet operator, nicknamed the ‘Queen of Heaven’, with 31 in its fleet.
The retired planes will join hundreds of others parked in the Mojave Desert. Weather conditions in such places (dry heat, low humidity, and little rain) mean that it takes much longer for aircraft to rust and degrade.
