FLYSSC From France, joined Aug 2003, 7312 posts, RR: 61 Posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 2765 times:
As another consequence of the ever increasing price of oil, Air France has decided the early complete retirement of its B747-200 (5 a/c) and B747-300 (4 a/c).
Concerning the B747-200 :
F-BPVY is already stored at XCR (Vatry) since she operated her last commercial flight on August 30th ATH-PARIS, bringing back home the French delegation for the Olympic games.
F-GCBA will be retired on Nov.8th F-GCBB will be retired on Dec.13th F-GCBI will leave the fleet in March 2005 F-GCBJ will leave the fleet in April 2005.
3 B744 will be based at ORY in replacement to operate the flights, mostly to RUN.
Second hand B744 will probably be bought and added to the fleet.
The 4 B743 will remain in service exclusively on the flights to/from ORY to/from PTP/FDF, pending the delivery of the "new" B744.
Concerning the cargo fleet, a new B747-400 ERF (F-GIUE) will be delivered in 2005.
The first (out of 8 a/c) B747-200F (F-BPVZ) will leave the fleet in 2006. The seven remaining a/c should all be retired by 2009 and replaced by B747-400 PAX converted into freighters (not coming from the present fleet of AF or KL but also second hand a/c).
AF is also considering to add B777 Freighters and/or A330 F.
Air France is an early operator of the B747. The first aircraft, a B747-100 F-BPVA vas delivered on April 9th 1970 and started her services on june 3rd on the ORY-JFK route.
FLYSSC From France, joined Aug 2003, 7312 posts, RR: 61 Reply 2, posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 2510 times:
I know Air France was in talk with Malaysia Airlines... But the deal was finally not signed, mostly because MH's a/c are powered by P&W engines while AF's B744 fleet is powered by GE's.
For the moment, I don't know where they will come from... But I am sure there is quite a lot of 744 for sale on the market or stored in a desert!
CPDC10-30 From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2000, 4759 posts, RR: 27 Reply 4, posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2120 times:
Changing an engine involves removing a few bolts, is there more to it if you go from P & W to GE?
Short of having the aircraft certified, probably not that much Engine type changes are done very, very rarely unless it is part of a standard re-engining program.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 89 Reply 5, posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 2101 times:
Changing from a GE to a PW is a massive undertaking that can involve rewiring the whole airplane, changes to the wing, and certainly replacements to the pylons.
In newer 747s and other types, it can require replacement of the avionics as well as rewiring.
Na From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9600 posts, RR: 10 Reply 6, posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1988 times:
Engine type changes on 747s are extremely rare. There are only two operators who ever did that.
The USAF changed the PW engines on its first two or three E-4s to GE´s in the mid-70s.
And Atlas Air changed from PWs to GEs as well on two freighters they bought secondhand. That happened in 1999 and one of the aircraft involved was N808MC.
Cloud4000 From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 639 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (8 years 6 months 3 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1907 times:
I thought as much. I changing engines were easy as changing tires, more airlines would do it.
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From France, joined Aug 2003, 7312 posts, 
From Egypt, joined Feb 2004, 5230 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2004, 6352 posts, 
Engine type changes are done very, very rarely unless it is part of a standard re-engining program.
From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, 
From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9600 posts, 
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