Dustweek From Japan, joined Aug 1999, 77 posts, RR: 0 Posted (5 months 22 hours ago) and read 5913 times:
Didn't see this mentioned in other threads, so starting my own.
JAL's Japanese website says they are retiring all their B747 Classics later this month.
Last B747-300 will be 30-July, from Honolulu to Narita, flight 73.
For 74,700 yen, you can have 4 days in Waikiki, and a hangar tour once you get back to Narita.
Ha763 From United States, joined Jan 2003, 2798 posts, RR: 8 Reply 4, posted (5 months 20 hours ago) and read 5675 times:
The HNL station has been planning for this special occasion. Each passenger on the flight will be getting something. There are also other things planned for the day, but it is not final.
Quoting Pellegrine (Reply 1): I didn't know JL called the 747-200Bs "747LR".
It was to differentiate between the domestic SR 747 classics. The LR applied to all the international 747 classics (-100, -200, and -300).
NA From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 6905 posts, RR: 8 Reply 9, posted (5 months 14 hours ago) and read 5137 times:
Quoting Plainplane (Reply 2): Any news on their fate? Will they be scrapped or preserved?
This is a major step for the once largest 747 classic operator. But as of now JAL cant have more than a handful 743s left, I think its even less.
As for their future fate, JALs latest 743 frames were built in 1987/88, so they are heavily used 21, 22 year old aircraft. Transaero has just put another ex-JAL 743 into service. Most of JALs former 743s are in service with other operators, a few are stored. Some of the younger 743s most likely will have a chance for 3, 4 years more service, as Hadj-transports or with LCCs like Orient Thai. I doubt that a 26 year old frame like N812J will fly again.
Columba From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 5615 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (5 months 13 hours ago) and read 5045 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 9): As for their future fate, JALs latest 743 frames were built in 1987/88, so they are heavily used 21, 22 year old aircraft. Transaero has just put another ex-JAL 743 into service. Most of JALs former 743s are in service with other operators, a few are stored. Some of the younger 743s most likely will have a chance for 3, 4 years more service, as Hadj-transports or with LCCs like Orient Thai. I doubt that a 26 year old frame like N812J will fly again.
It is too bad that even Cargo airlines are dropping their 747 classics with 747-400 becoming more and more available.
Looks like in 5 years the 747 classics will be an extinct species.
Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans - John Lennon
Ha763 From United States, joined Jan 2003, 2798 posts, RR: 8 Reply 15, posted (5 months 4 hours ago) and read 3983 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 14): According airfleets only two 743s are left in JALs fleet, JA813J and JA8183. The first one is 26 years old, the other 22 years.
According to the JAL maintenance personnel here at HNL, it should be 812J and 8166. I know for certain that 812J is still flying since it was here in HNL just a couple days ago.
CCA From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Oct 2002, 429 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (5 months 2 hours ago) and read 3438 times:
CX will retire it's last Classic in July as well around the same date.
The A/C is B-HVZ, HVX and HIH are currently parked in HK with their titles painted over, all of them should leave to either Kemble in the UK or Victorville in the US if Kemble doesn't work out.
July 20th is 30yrs of "Classics" in the CX fleet so they just make it!
28L28L From Ireland, joined Nov 2005, 288 posts, RR: 0 Reply 25, posted (4 months 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 1264 times:
JA8166 operated HNL-NGO as JO83 on Wednesday 8 July
26 Je89_w: It looks like JA812J, JA813J, JA8166, and JA8183 are still active. JA8166 and JA812J seem like they are doing the Hawaii runs and JA8183 and JA813J lo
27 Ktachiya: JA8183 operated HNL-NGO on the 9th of July. But honestly with so much overcapacity at the moment, it seems that JL could retire a heap of B744 and sti
28 FX1816: I don't believe that is true. I'm pretty sure that JAL had some of the 100's, not sure about 200's, converted to the larger upper deck. FX1816
30 Lowrider: Don't bet on it, there are still large parts of the world where a 747 classic will serve just fine for freight. The airframes are cheap and most part
31 FX1816: Here is JA8176 a 747-146SR with an extended upper deck.... FX1816
32 NA: Not a conversion, it was built that way. Sold 2006.
33 FX1816: My fault, sorry about that I was under the idea that they were just asking if JAL had any 100 or 200 series with the SUD. FX1816
34 PlaneHunter: Four still in service now according to ATDB. I wouldn't trust airfleets.net as much as ATDB. And all 743s have been used on international services in
Sponsor Message: 
From Japan, joined Aug 1999, 77 posts, 
From United States, joined Mar 2007, 1186 posts, 
From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 5615 posts, 
The extended upper deck still looks modern to my eyes.
From Canada, joined Apr 2000, 4367 posts, 
From Hong Kong SAR, PRC, joined Oct 2002, 429 posts, 
From East Timor, joined Oct 2007, 1601 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2008, 84 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 10829 posts, 
From Ireland, joined Nov 2005, 288 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
