When & Why Did United Airlines Retire The Boeing 747?

Summary

  • United had an extensive fleet of Boeing 747s, operating 88 at different times.
  • United found difficulty in maintaining the aircraft due to parts availability.
  • US airlines followed United’s lead in retiring the Boeing 747 due to fuel efficiency and modern aircraft options.

After 47 years of operating flights with the Boeing 747, United Airlines retired the aircraft type from its fleet. With the retirement of its Boeing 747s, United was a few years ahead of other US airlines, as other carriers in this nation with the highest number of airports eventually ceased their operations with the Boeing 747. But why exactly did United Airlines retire the “Queen of the Skies”? Let’s find out.

Related

What Happened To United Airlines’ Boeing 747 Aircraft?

United had a prominent fleet of the Boeing 747s before retirement

According to data from Planespotters.net, in total, United has operated 88 Boeing 747s at various times in its history. The Chicago-based carrier operated four variants of the Boeing 747, which included the following types:

Aircraft model

Number of aircraft

Boeing 747 -100

23

Boeing 747 -200

10

Boeing 747-400

44

Boeing 747SP

11

United Airlines Boeing 747 shutterstock_145656926

Photo: TonyV3112 | Shutterstock

One of the Boeings that United previously operated even served NASA. In September 1996, the aircraft carried a “17-ton, eight-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind a massive sliding door” for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This aircraft is nicknamed Clipper Lindbergh and still serves the biggest institute for space science as N747NA.

The Boeing 747 was on its way to being obsolete when United retired it

Oscar Munoz, who was the CEO of United Airlines in 2017, talked to Business Insider and revealed that the airline found maintenance of the aircraft a tad too difficult:

“For us, we had dwindled down our fleet of 747s. They were already on a path to becoming obsolete. They have been a grand aircraft for us for a long time, but we have issues with maintenance – parts in particular. If I need a part today, I can’t get it. We stripped every airplane in the world of its parts to feed the need, and no one is making new parts for this particular aircraft because there are just not as many out there.”

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 18, 2015: Virgin Atlantic Airlines Boeing 747 rotating as it leaves Manchester Airport July 18 2015.

Photo: Craig Russell | Shutterstock

United also had plans to expand its route, too. For the new routes, it wanted to use aircraft that would operate well into the next generation. Further, newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft were hitting the aviation industry, and it soon became clear to other airlines that the “Queen of the Skies” would be replaced by other aircraft models.

And all US carriers followed United’s way

After the first flight of the Boeing 747 in 1969, many more fuel-efficient aircraft have hit the market. Fuel accounts for 22% of an airline’s operational expenses.

In his piece about why airlines in the US chose to retire their 747s, Chirs Loh reported for Simple Flying that the introduction of aircraft such as the Boeing 777 (with variants such as the Boeing 777-200LR) has cut down airlines’ fuel costs:

“..the 777-300ER (extended range) can carry roughly the same number of passengers as the 747-400 while burning 100,000lb less fuel. Therefore, if 100,000lb of fuel equates to 15,000 gallons and the current price (according to IndexMundi) is $1.87 per gallon, then we are looking at a fuel savings of roughly $28,000. Pair that with the amount of flying these long-haul jets do and the reduction in maintenance and that’s a pretty strong case for a newer aircraft.”

Related

Why Did The US Airlines Stop Flying The Boeing 747?

It was in the United States where the story of the jumbo began.

Aircraft such as the Boeing 777, Boeing 787, and Airbus models such as the A330 and A350 provide a more effective long-haul service. Moreover, development in aircraft technology has allowed narrowbody aircraft to perform well for medium to long distances.

The final flight of United Airlines 747 was a thing of beauty

The first flight that United operated with its 747 took place on 23 July 1970. The flight was named “Friend Ship”, and the final farewell flight of UA’s Boeings 747 was also given the same name.

United Airlines Boeing 747

Some highlights of this final flight, which also took place from San Francisco to Honolulu, included:

  • The tickets for the 374-seat flight were sold out within hours.
  • After touching down in Honolulu, the then-governor of Hawaii, David Ige, personally greeted passengers.
  • Flight attendants donned the uniforms of United Airlines in the 1970s, as the airline had debuted the 747’s in 1970.

After the final flight, the aircraft returned empty to San Francisco and eventually made its way to an airline “boneyard”.

Related

When Did Each US Carrier Retire Its Boeing 747s?

But where are United’s retired Boeing 747s now?

The first model of the Boeing 747 that United took delivery of was the Boeing 747-100. All of United’s Boeing of this type have been retired.

A few of the Boeing 747-200s operated by United were converted to freighters, one of which is active with Aerostan, a cargo carrier from Kyrgyzstan. It has been reported that “three former United 747-200s have been in storage since 2009-2011, and the remaining six aircraft have been scrapped.”

United Airlines (Tulip Livery) Boeing 747-422 N198UA

Photo: Vincenzo Pace – Simple Flying

Twenty-one 747-400s operated by United have been scrapped. Victorville’s aircraft boneyard in California houses twelve of United’s Boeing 747-400s. Some of United’s 747-400s remain in service with airlines such as:

  • Mahan Air
  • Dubai Air Wing
  • Atlas Air
  • Max Air

Related

What Happened To United Airlines’ Boeing 747-200s?

The 747-200 was one of several versions of the ‘jumbo jet’ that United flew over the years.

According to airportspotting.com, some of the old Boeing 747s operated by United have found a new life, albeit differently altogether:

” Several ex-United Airlines’ 747-400 airframes have been repurposed for unusual, new leases of life: former N187UA is used as a two-storey café in Bangkok and N178UA is being prepared for use as a lounge and office area as part of a twin high-rise residential and retail complex in Seattle, USA.”

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