Cathay Pacific says goodbye to the ‘Queen of the Skies'

The 747 has been one of the biggest commercial successes in the history of aviation, and Cathay Pacific has operated the Jumbo Jet since 1979.

The aircraft replaced Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 707, and in doing so more than doubled the capacity the airline could offer on its routes. The Hong Kong-based airline could then expand to Europe and North America during the 1980s.

Now, with the introduction of the far more fuel-friendly Boeing 777 and Airbus A350, 

Cathay Pacific can no longer justify flying the long-serving, yet less efficient, jumbo.

The aircraft used on Friday’s flight was one of Cathay’s more "famous" jumbo jets - with registration number B-HUJ, it was the first plane to land at the new Hong Kong International Airport. The 15.5 hour flight from New York was the first to pass over the North Pole, whilst the distance of 13,825 kilometres was also a record at the time.