United To Retire Its 747 Fleet

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“There’s something very special about a Boeing 747,” United Airlines President Scott Kirby said in a blog posted online Wednesday. But he went on to say the company has decided to retire its 747 fleet from scheduled service. “It’s the one aircraft that even casual travelers can easily identify,” Kirby said. “And we know that the experience of traveling on one, or flying one, is unforgettable.” Yet despite feeling “deeply connected” to the “iconic” aircraft, he said, the airline is going to accelerate its plan to retire the fleet. Last March, the company said the last 747 flight would occur by the end of 2018; now, Kirby said, the last United 747 will land for the last time before the end of this year.

The 747, with its distinctive humped profile, once “represented the state-of-the-art in air travel,” Kirby said. But today, there are widebody airplanes available that are more fuel-efficient, cost-effective and reliable for the airline’s long-haul flights. “For these reasons, we’re saying farewell to the Queen of the Skies,” Kirby said. The 747 has been part of the airline’s fleet since 1970, when it flew between California and Hawaii. Kirby added that the airline is planning an “unforgettable retirement celebration” for the 747, with more details to come later in the year.

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