QF 744 retirement. Where is it at?

[Phil Stevens]

OEJ is apparently due to spend 2 hours on the ground at Stansted on 15 Dec, then head straight back to Australia. Seems a long way to come just for a full English breakfast!

[Martin Buzzell]

Why's OEJ at Stansted?

[MarkR]

Charter for the usual religious group perhaps?

[Martin Buzzell]

Blessed are the Cheese Makers?

[Adrian B]

the meek???

[Greg Hyde]

From this months Airliner World

United Accelerates 747 Retirement UNITED AIRLINES will retire its Boeing
747 fleet in the fourth quarter, a year earlier than planned.

Company President Scott Kirby revealed on January 11 that the carrier
will bring forward the retirement of the 20-strong fleet in a message to
employees, saying: “As deeply connected as we all are to this iconic
aircraft, the time has come to retire our 747 fleet from scheduled service.

“It’s a bittersweet milestone – this jumbo jet with its unmistakable
silhouette once represented the stateof-the-art in air travel. Today, there
are more fuel-efficient, cost-effective and reliable widebody aircraft that
provide an updated in-flight experience for our customers travelling on longhaul
flights.”

United introduced the 747 in 1970, flying between California and Hawaii but,
with a major overhaul of its long-haul fleet under way, the jumbo’s time is up.
The airline has 32 Boeing 787Dreamliners in service and has just
taken delivery of its first 777-300ERs: N2331U (c/n 62642) and N2332U (c/n
62643). It also has 35 Airbus A350-1000s on order, with deliveries due to
begin next year.

Kirby said the airline would ensure a “smooth transition” to other fleets for
staff who work on the 747, adding that the airline was planning an “unforgettable”
retirement celebration.

[Zac M]

What does that have to do with the retirement of QF 747s? Maybe worth its own thread rather than posting it somewhere that its somewhat irrelevant???

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[Dennis McLean]

If we look at the 744 flights that will still occur?? after the retirement of 2x744's at 30 June 2018, easy to guess OEB and OJM, we have the following:-

BNE/LAX/JFK Daily = 2
SYD/SFO Daily x 2 and SYD/LAX 2 = 2
SYD/HND Daily and SYD/JNB Daily ex 3/ex 4 = 3
SYD/SCL 2357/3461, with the 3/4 flights being the 3/4 that does NOT go to JNB = 1
That is 8 aircraft without considering YVR in the holiday periods. If the 380 goes on SYD/HKG daily that leaves one 744 spare presumably for Vancouver.

Any comments??

[James Smith]

Dennis, I presume that when QF9/10 becomes a 787-9 that QF11/12 will become a daily service with the Tue 744 no longer needed, which could be placed on QF73/74, which doesn't operate on Tuesday ex SYD, apart from peak periods. They may redeploy 787-9 when aircraft 5 & 6 are delivered to SFO, start ORD or open YVR to 787-9, either daily or 3 pw - 1 or 2 787-9s. Another option is to make QF15/16 a 787-9 service which gives 2 744 when aircraft 5 & 6 are delivered (I don't have a date or month for these deliveries apart from 2017/18). QANTAS may not want to do this as the LAX-JFK leg would be operated by a smaller aircraft than present but the only other option is with an A380 as the MEL to LAX 787-9 will be too late to hub with the other LAX connections? HKG would be one retirement but also remember that MEL-HKG is operated by a 744, 3 times a week, I think, with A333 on the other days. They may only retire one 744 after March, 2018. Lots of permutations to ponder.

[Dennis McLean]

James, the QF schedules for the 2nd week of April still show a 744 on 11/12 and SFO x2. I forgot about the MEL/HKG 744, but that could be a candidate for the 2nd freed up 380. Remember the 380's are going in for "half life" maintenance from late 2018 so if each aircraft takes say 2 months?? that accounts for 2 years when an A 380 will be OOS.
It is probably all speculation at the moment as there are so many thoughts about as to where Aircraft 5-8 will be used.. I believe that the 789 deliveries are July 18 - 5, August 18 - 6, November/December 18 - 7 and April 19 - 8.

There is also a round the world trip with a 744 from 22 April to 18 May 2018 I think with all 4 classes for sale. That would be OEB or OJM