KL 744 Phase out News and Discussion Thread

747classic · Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:22 am

AMS departure pictures of PH-BFY, June 29th 2020

Both original uploaded by Hans Hagebout at Farewell KLM Boeing 747 at facebook, see : https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarewellKLMBoeing747

tvh · Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:46 am

FlyingHonu001 wrote:
PH-BFY currently leaving her homebase for the last time with KL747. Follow her here now

https://tar1090.adsbexchange.com/?icao=484175
https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747

Why this bird, and not one of the older one's. I do not think is was up for a D-check.

747classic · Mon Jun 29, 2020 10:54 am

tvh wrote:
FlyingHonu001 wrote:
PH-BFY currently leaving her homebase for the last time with KL747. Follow her here now

https://tar1090.adsbexchange.com/?icao=484175
https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747

Why this bird, and not one of the older one's. I do not think is was up for a D-check.

Because KLM didn't wanted to invest into a configuration change from the present all pax configuration to the 7 pallet combi configuration.
In the all pax configuration the aircraft is not perfectly suited for cargo operations and a 777-300ER can be operated more economically.

PH-BFY :

Cycles: ± 10.587
Airtime: ± 92.034

Source : Scramble, Praethuys, KLM, member Bennie, see : https://forum.scramble.nl/viewtopic.php ... start=4515

FB330 · Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:16 am

A question on how these flights work.

Are there any cabin crew on board? Is the cabin still fully usable? Could a crew member sit in a WBC seat and put on the tv during a rest break? I guess I am wondering what elements of the aircraft is still there and functioning during the final flight.

PANAMsterdam · Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:02 pm

Sad sight, another blue Queen without her titles. Grey skies, no farewell party. Not the farewell she deserved! Thanks for your service, "City of Johannesburg". :cry:

FlyingHonu001 · Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:44 pm

FB330 wrote:
A question on how these flights work.

Are there any cabin crew on board? Is the cabin still fully usable? Could a crew member sit in a WBC seat and put on the tv during a rest break? I guess I am wondering what elements of the aircraft is still there and functioning during the final flight.

Just the pilots i believe...Also the seats were left as is, however the IFE screens in C-class might have been removed by KL/Panasonic as all other widebodies uses similar screens. They might have kept those and re-use as spare parts

VCVSpotter · Mon Jun 29, 2020 2:59 pm

I know that there are some really knowledgeable people on this forum, does anyone know the retirement dates (and location) for PH-BFL and PH-BFN that are currently parked at AMS with their tiles removed?

Iemand91 · Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:28 pm

After a quick 2 hour stop in Chicago already on her way on her final ever flight to Mojave: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/24cfe004
About 1 hour and 50 minutes left to go...

clrd4t8koff · Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:55 pm

Iemand91 wrote:
After a quick 2 hour stop in Chicago already on her way on her final ever flight to Mojave: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/24cfe004
About 1 hour and 50 minutes left to go...

Why the stop in Chicago as opposed to direct Amsterdam-Mojave?

VCVSpotter · Mon Jun 29, 2020 11:58 pm

clrd4t8koff wrote:
Iemand91 wrote:
After a quick 2 hour stop in Chicago already on her way on her final ever flight to Mojave: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/24cfe004
About 1 hour and 50 minutes left to go...

Why the stop in Chicago as opposed to direct Amsterdam-Mojave?

All international aircraft need to clear customs before flying to Mojave as Mojave does not have a customs facility.

VCVSpotter · Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:03 am

Here are some photos of KLM 747-400M PH-BFY landing at MHV today one last time. While on approach, PH-BFY made several corrections and pitched the nose down hard making for some very interesting pictures. The first is mine, while the second and third are from other spotters.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCCM7vyhXP2/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCCsYdkhf1h/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCCdTs2B22v/

PANAMsterdam · Tue Jun 30, 2020 9:53 am

VCVSpotter wrote:
Here are some photos of KLM 747-400M PH-BFY landing at MHV today one last time. While on approach, PH-BFY made several corrections and pitched the nose down hard making for some very interesting pictures. The first is mine, while the second and third are from other spotters.

Thanks for the pictures. As a Dutch guy it's so weird to see a KLM bird in a desert, surrounded by mountains. It must feel weird for the Queen too, after spending 18 years in the green Dutch 'polder'.

Iemand91 · Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:22 pm

Engines already removed from PH-BFY:

Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Farewel ... 224780675/

aristoenigma · Sun Jul 05, 2020 7:45 pm

Hi lemand91. Do you know how much longer BFW, BFV and BFT will be utilized?
Also wondered where PAX planes BFN and BFN are stored?

Iemand91 · Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:38 pm

aristoenigma wrote:
Hi lemand91. Do you know how much longer BFW, BFV and BFT will be utilized?

747classic wrote:
The KLM 744combi operation with destination PEK (via ICN) will stop and will be replaced with a 5 flights/week schedule to HKG. Preliminary planning is for 2 months.
Normal general cargo will be transported.
The AMS-PVG operation will be continued.

Also wondered where PAX planes BFN and BFN are stored?

I think you meant -BFL and -BFN?

Both are stored at AMS.

VCVSpotter · Sun Jul 05, 2020 9:52 pm

Iemand91 wrote:
aristoenigma wrote:
Hi lemand91. Do you know how much longer BFW, BFV and BFT will be utilized?

747classic wrote:
The KLM 744combi operation with destination PEK (via ICN) will stop and will be replaced with a 5 flights/week schedule to HKG. Preliminary planning is for 2 months.
Normal general cargo will be transported.
The AMS-PVG operation will be continued.

Also wondered where PAX planes BFN and BFN are stored?

I think you meant -BFL and -BFN?
Both are stored at AMS.

Any idea where/when they (PH-BFL & PH-BFN) will fly to their final resting place? I haven't seen any info from the usual sources/anywhere about the fate of those frames....

Iemand91 · Mon Jul 06, 2020 8:55 am

VCVSpotter wrote:
Any idea where/when they (PH-BFL & PH-BFN) will fly to their final resting place? I haven't seen any info from the usual sources/anywhere about the fate of those frames....

I don't know. I think I've read somewhere when and where they would go, but I can't find it anymore.

boris888 · Mon Jul 06, 2020 9:30 am

until the end of summer 2020

Iemand91 · Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:40 pm

Due another Corona wave in Hong Kong; all KLM flights from HKG back to Amsterdam will make a crew-stop in Bangkok.
So this brings the KLM 747 back (for a while) to Bangkok. Last regular KLM 747 (pax) flights to BKK were somewhere around 2015 I believe.

First 747 this time was PH-BFW on July 11; but here's PH-BFT the next day:

Source: Thailand Aviation Photographers Group, picture by Narong Aey Petwong.
Closed group but also linked here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Farewel ... 103019087/

VCVSpotter · Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:54 pm

According to this forum, the next KLM 747-400 (registration PH-BFN) will head to MHV on August 24 on the AMS-ORD-MHV route.

https://forum.scramble.nl/viewtopic.php ... start=4515

Appropriate announcement for my 744th post on airliners

Ishrion · Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:56 pm

KLM will retire the three 747 Combi by October:

https://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/nieuws/ ... um=twitter

FlyingHonu001 · Mon Jul 27, 2020 4:11 pm

Another behind-the-scenes look with the KL 74E Cargo-in-Cabin operations
https://youtu.be/-nxNFQ20Eg8

Iemand91 · Sun Aug 23, 2020 11:47 am

After more than 27 years now the final few hours at home base Schiphol for 'City of Nairobi".

Source

As mentioned above; she will leave Amsterdam tomorrow morning (Monday) at around 9 to Chicago and then onwards to Mojave...

VCVSpotter · Sun Aug 23, 2020 4:05 pm

...where I will (likely/hopefully) be waiting to see her final touchdown on runway 30..... :cry2:

Only four remain now, PH-BFL (KLM tech has now re-installed all four engines in the last week or so, so she’ll probably ferry out next month), and the three being used for cargo ops (which will end in late October): PH-BFT, PH-BFV, PH-BFW. At the (relatively) slow rate they’re sending 747s to the desert (look how long it’s taken for BFN to be sent to the scrapper after de-branding circa March 2020), one has to wonder if we’ll see a KLM 747 flying to MHV in 2021......

leo777 · Sun Aug 23, 2020 7:16 pm

Hello all what is the arrival time for the ORD 744 on 8/24? Where is the best place to spot it?

Iemand91 · Sun Aug 23, 2020 8:22 pm

leo777 wrote:
Hello all what is the arrival time for the ORD 744 on 8/24? Where is the best place to spot it?

It's around 8 hours flying time, so with a Amsterdam departure time of 9 in the morning it should arrive at Chicago around 10.

VCVSpotter · Sun Aug 23, 2020 10:04 pm

Iemand91 wrote:
leo777 wrote:
Hello all what is the arrival time for the ORD 744 on 8/24? Where is the best place to spot it?

It's around 8 hours flying time, so with a Amsterdam departure time of 9 in the morning it should arrive at Chicago around 10.

The last one (PH-BFY) was scheduled in around 10AM ORD time and was scheduled out at 12:30PM, so I would guess that PH-BFN would likely adhere to a similar schedule.

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/KLM747

Here's another photo of PH-BFN before her final flight tomorrow....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ater&ifg=1

DTWLAX · Mon Aug 24, 2020 12:57 am

Is there any particular reason ORD is chosen to clear these flights? Why not DTW (it would be nice to clear for the final time at a Skyteam hub) or why not LAX (much closer to MHV)? Or why not any other airport for that matter?

af773atmsp · Mon Aug 24, 2020 1:02 am

I'm pretty late, but I noticed PH-BFI was stored back in December. I flew on this plane AMS-ORD in September 2018, and it was my first flight on a 747. Even though it cost several hundred dollars more than on a different airline, it was well worth it especially since it was the closest I could get to my home airport of MSP. Also really glad that, even though the departure was several hours late due to aircraft issues, the E190 that took me from OSL to AMS made it just in time that I could make the connection to my ORD flight.

VCVSpotter · Mon Aug 24, 2020 3:00 am

DTWLAX wrote:
Is there any particular reason ORD is chosen to clear these flights? Why not DTW (it would be nice to clear for the final time at a Skyteam hub) or why not LAX (much closer to MHV)? Or why not any other airport for that matter?

I think it is because ORD is the most ‘on the way’ airport going to MHV that KLM serves. I don’t know the specifics, but I would assume that if something goes wrong it’s better to have it go wrong somewhere where you actually fly (even when compared to DTW/sky team hub). Yes KLM flies to LAX, but it’s also a southernly detour from MHV, and landing fees are higher.

Iemand91 · Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:14 am

Farewell...

Source

https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/254dfd61

764 · Mon Aug 24, 2020 3:48 pm

So I just noticed that flight 643 on January 3rd is now listed as a 747M again (I am pretty sure it was a 772 when I booked it). No complaints here. None at all. But considering the previous news about earlier retirement, I found this very interesting. 644 back to AMS is also listed as a 747M and - maybe not coincidentally - those were supposed to be the final 747M revenue flights in the original schedule filing back in January.

Iemand91 · Mon Aug 24, 2020 6:37 pm

Final ever flight for Nairobi on her way: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/254f179a

PH-BFN at ORD earlier today:

https://twitter.com/Savoirfaire22/statu ... 9161696256

PW100 · Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:23 pm

Iemand91 wrote:
Final ever flight for Nairobi on her way: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/254f179a

PH-BFN at ORD earlier today:

https://twitter.com/Savoirfaire22/statu ... 9161696256

Was the AMS-ORD sector a revenue flight (cargo)?

VCVSpotter · Mon Aug 24, 2020 11:02 pm

A few shots and a video of PH-BFN today:

AMS departure:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CERKd__Bgdd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CERkKNKIGo5/

ORD departure:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CESAPxMhgHn/

MHV arrival:
Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CESWau6pmPm/
My shot: https://www.instagram.com/p/CESXz3ZhdnX/ (tried a new spot that didn't really work out, but oh well).

VCVSpotter · Sat Aug 29, 2020 7:57 pm

Looks like KLM 747-400 PH-BFN at MHV has already had her engines removed (not surprising). Heard that PH-BFL, the last KLM 747-400 (the others are -400M Combis), will fly to MHV either the 21st or the 28th, but I think we'll have more clarity in the coming week or so from more concrete sources....

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ohwis ... 525895119/

Iemand91 · Sun Aug 30, 2020 6:30 pm

VCVSpotter wrote:
Looks like KLM 747-400 PH-BFN at MHV has already had her engines removed (not surprising). Heard that PH-BFL, the last KLM 747-400 (the others are -400M Combis), will fly to MHV either the 21st or the 28th, but I think we'll have more clarity in the coming week or so from more concrete sources....

https://www.instagram.com/stories/ohwis ... 525895119/

Can't see it without account.

But here's another one:

Source

VCVSpotter · Sat Sep 12, 2020 5:47 pm

KLM 747-400 PH-BFL will ferry AMS-ORD-MHV as KL9879 on October 5, 2020 for retirement. This will be the final flight of a KLM 747-400 (non-Combi). Departure from AMS will be 8:55AM local, with arrival at MHV around 2PM local (where I'll likely be waiting for her). She currently has 133,465 flight hours and 17,225 cycles. It is rumored that she will become a parts donor for Western Global Airlines.

Source (in Dutch): https://www.scramble.nl/community/messa ... start=4560

ramsesp · Fri Sep 18, 2020 10:58 am

Seems there is a slight chance to see one or another 747Combi flying again:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1451815

To be honest: this sounds really weired. But on a second thought the plans are not that absurd.

Iemand91 · Sat Oct 03, 2020 7:52 pm

Last weekend for the last KLM 747-400 (non-combi) PH-BFL:

Source: ‎Ralph Valkenier @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747‎

Monday morning is the last flight.

Iemand91 · Sun Oct 04, 2020 4:49 pm

Was moved from Schiphol-East to G-Apron today in preparation of her last flight tomorrow:

Source: Rob van Ringelesteijn @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

Source: Danny Lemckert @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

VCVSpotter · Sun Oct 04, 2020 5:43 pm

@lemand91: Did they remove the name ‘Robert van Bohemen’ from PH-BFL? It sure looks that way from the photos...was the name only temporary? Kinda bummed because I was looking forward to getting her tomorrow with a special name. It still will be the final flight of a KLM 747-400 non-combi, so I guess it’s still special.

Iemand91 · Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:37 pm

PH-BFL has touched down at Chicago.

Departure from Amsterdam; the last KLM full-pax 747 departure from Amsterdam since the first one (PH-BUA) touched down at Schiphol; 49 years, 8 months and 5 days ago on January 31, 1971...

Martijn de Rooze @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

Rego Meijer @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

The still active PH-BFW in the foreground:

Martijn de Rooze @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

inkjet7 · Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:50 pm

Is that a photoshop joke or is the APU missing?

Iemand91 · Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:18 pm

inkjet7 wrote:
Is that a photoshop joke or is the APU missing?

APU is indeed missing. More KLM 747's left Schiphol for good without one if I remember correctly.

EDIT: another amazing picture from her departure this morning:

Breuno de Kruif‎ @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

At Chicago:

Yaser Saleh‎ @ Farewell KLM Boeing 747

EDIT #2: live on Flightradar24 for her very last flight: https://www.flightradar24.com/KLM747/25b0d2f5

Iemand91 · Thu Oct 15, 2020 7:35 pm

It's the final 10 days for KLM 747 operations.
Last flight will likely be KL894 arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport at 17:40 on Sunday October 25.

747classic · Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:02 am

Iemand91 wrote:
It's the final 10 days for KLM 747 operations.
Last flight will likely be KL894 arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport at 17:40 on Sunday October 25.

A very strange decision to phase out the best " temporally freighter" in the KLM fleet, just before the cargo peak season and during the second covid -19 wave, requiring more medical supplies to be transported again.

Phosphorus · Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:17 am

747classic wrote:
Iemand91 wrote:
It's the final 10 days for KLM 747 operations.
Last flight will likely be KL894 arriving at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport at 17:40 on Sunday October 25.

A very strange decision to phase out the best " temporally freighter" in the KLM fleet, just before the cargo peak season and during the second covid -19 wave, requiring more medical supplies to be transported again.

Could not agree more. Unless all three are timing out for major checks at once (very unlikely), this is not an obvious time to retire this fleet, at all.

RvA · Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:41 am

LH is also moving away from using their 747-8s in favour of A350s for the winter. Seems cargo demand doesn’t require it anymore or KL and LH are making mistakes? Doubt it given the pressure they’re under they’d do this if not absolutely sure.

747classic · Fri Oct 16, 2020 9:59 am

RvA wrote:
LH is also moving away from using their 747-8s in favour of A350s for the winter. Seems cargo demand doesn’t require it anymore or KL and LH are making mistakes? Doubt it given the pressure they’re under they’d do this if not absolutely sure.

LH has only all pax 747-8 (-400) aircraft with limited cargo (volume) payload, but high passenger capacity (not needed in winter)

KL has three combi 747's with far more cargo volume and payload than the rest of the KLM long range fleet, so they can still be operated in the" temporally freighter" role during the cargo peak season.

Who is online

Popular Searches On Airliners.net