747 historical events 2012-2015 - Boeing 747 | information center

I collected all the important milestones of the mighty  BOEING 747  in the past 50+ years. I tried to do my best to recall every important moment of more than fifty-year. I hope my efforts serve your reading enjoyment.

Corrections and additions are warmly welcome at      postmaster@boeing747.net
Dates are in yyyy.mm.dd. format

747 milestones | 2012-2015

• 2012.01.26  EVERETT, Wash., VQ-BLQ - Boeing and AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group, celebrated today the delivery of the first of five new Boeing 747-8 Freighters to the airline.
  

• 2012.02.06  EVERETT, HL7609 + HL8251 Wash., Boeing and Korean Air today celebrated delivery of the airline's first 747-8 and 777 Freighters. With the milestone delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline in the world to operate both the 747-8 and 777 Freighters.
  

• 2012.02.08. End of an era. NASA 911, the Boeing 747-146 that has been used as a space shuttle carrier, made its last flight on Wednesday, 8 February 2012, a 20-minute hop from Edwards Air Force Base to Palmdale Plant 42. In 38 years, this airplane accumulated 33,004.1 flight hours, which is relatively low time for an airliner. It will be cannibalized for parts to keep another NASA 747 flying.
  

• 2012.02.14. Boeing YAL-1A Airborne Laser Test Bed, serial number 00-0001, departed Edwards AFB for the last time as it headed for The Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Arizona.
  

• 2012.02.28  EVERETT, A7-HHE Wash., Boeing celebrated a major achievement in the effort to create a Queen of the Skies for the 21st Century, delivering the first 747-8 Intercontinental VIP airplane to QATAR Amiri Flight. The airplane, which was delivered with a minimal interior, will enter service in 2014 after its VIP interior is installed.  
  

• 2012.04.17. Orbital Vehicle 103, the Space Shuttle Discovery, mounted to NASA 905, a Boeing 747-100 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft for the last time, arrived at Dulles International Airport. On 19 April, Discovery was placed on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum.
  

• 2012.04.25  EVERETT, Wash., D-ABYA Boeing has delivered the first 747-8 Intercontinental passenger airliner to Deutsche Lufthansa AG, beginning a new era for the world's most recognized airplane, and beginning a new era of increased efficiency, stronger environmental performance and greater enjoyment for Lufthansa and its passengers. Celebrations of delivery set for Everett on May 1 and Frankfurt on May 2. Named "Brandenburg", 1st revenue flight performed as DLH416 (EDDF-KIAD) 01/06/12.
  

• 2012.05.31  EVERETT, Wash., N850GT Boeing today marked the 20th delivery of its new 747-8. The airplane, a 747-8 Freighter, was delivered to Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. Atlas Air will operate it on behalf of Panalpina, the Swiss-based freight operator. This marks the first time in Panalpina's history that an airplane has been painted in the company's livery.
  

• 2012.06.01  EAST MEADOW, N.Y., Today Lufthansa, launch customer for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, initiated commercial service of the new Jumbo jet along the inaugural route of Frankfurt (FRA) to Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD). Flight LH416 departed Frankfurt at 9:50am and is scheduled to touchdown at Dulles at 12:45pm. In addition to regularly scheduled passengers, guests include Dr. Christoph Franz, Lufthansa's CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, and Elizabeth Lund, Boeing vice president and general manager, 747 Program, who are joined by a delegation consisting of U.S. and International media, esteemed customers and partners. The return flight, LH419, is scheduled to depart Washington, D.C. this evening at 5:55pm, arriving in Frankfurt at 8:05am the following day.  Lufthansa's newest flagship aircraft will provide service between the two cities initially six days a week (excluding Tuesdays), and will increase capacity on this route by 6.3 percent.
  

• 2012.07.19  XIAMEN, China, Boeing and Evergreen International Airlines and Taikoo Aircraft Engineering (TAECO) celebrate the delivery of the 50th 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The airplane is the first to enter the Evergreen fleet and the 40th conversion completed by TAECO.
  

• 2012.07.25  EVERETT, Wash., JA13KZ Boeing has delivered a 747-8 Freighter to Narita-based Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), marking the Japanese debut for the 747-8. The new airplane is NCA's first 747-8 Freighter on order with Boeing.
  

• 2013.03.18  "EVERETT, Wash., The Boeing 747-8 has served its 100th airport just 16 months after entering service. The airplane, a 747-8 Freighter operated by launch customer Cargolux, arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, from Kuwait on Sunday. As the 747-8 launch customer, I want to congratulate the Boeing and Cargolux teams for their commitment and hard work that made this achievement possible,"" said Richard Forson, Cargolux interim president and chief executive officer. ""We are proud to be the irst airline to operate the 747-8F to the 100th airport worldwide that is able to accommodate this great aircraft on a commercial revenue flight. After all, it's a milestone for Boeing and Cargolux alike and a testament to the true pioneering spirit that has always haracterized our two companies."" Cargolux took delivery of the first 747-8 Freighter in October 2011 and placed it directly into service to its home base in Luxembourg. Since then, the 747-8 fleet has supported revenue service operations at 100 airports on six continents and has been approved for more than 240 airports around the world, significantly more than the airplane's main competitor. The fleet has also been performing well in service, with a dispatch reliability of approximately 98.4 percent. ""The arrival of the airplane in Hanoi is just another testament to the capabilities and value the 747-8 is providing our customers,"" said Eric Lindblad, vice president and general manager, 747 Program, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The milestone demonstrates the newest member of the 747 family can operate safely within an airport environment, accounting for regulatory requirements, clearances, pavement loading and parking requirements. The 747-8 family provides airlines with double-digit improvements in fuel burn, operating costs and emissions, while being 30 percent quieter and adding more capacity. To date 42 747-8s, including 29 freighters, eight Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) and five Intercontinentals have been delivered to a total of seven airline customers and several undisclosed BBJ ustomers."  
  

• 2013.07.11. SEATTLE, Boeing and Silk Way Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Baku, Azerbaijan, today announced an order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters valued at $704 million at current list prices.
  

• 2013.10.18. EVERETT, Wash., Boeing announced that it will adjust the production rate for the 747-8 program from 1.75 airplanes to 1.5 airplanes per month through 2015 because of lower market demand for large passenger and freighter airplanes.
  

• 2013.10.24. SEATTLE,Boeing and Korean Air have finalized an order for five 747-8 Intercontinentals and six 777-300ER (Extended Range) jetliners that was announced as a commitment during the Paris Air Show in June. In addition, Korean Air has also announced an order for one additional 787 Dreamliner. The value of the combined order is valued at $3.9 billion at current list prices.
  

• 2013.12.18. EVERETT, Wash., B-LJK - Boeing today delivered the first 747-8 with performance-improved GEnx-2B engines as part of the airplane's Performance Improvement Package (PIP.) A Cathay Pacific Airways 747-8 Freighter was the first 747 to deliver with the PIP engines.The engine is the first of the package's three improvements to enter service. The two other components, Flight LE BOURGET, France, June 17, 2015 – Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Volga-Dnepr Group, a world leader in transportation of unique, oversize and heavy cargo, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further the Group’s fleet expansion with 20 additional 747-8 Freighters, valued at $7.4 billion at list prices.Management Computer (FMC) software upgrades and reactivation of the horizontal tank fuel system on the 747-8 Intercontinental, are expected to enter service later this month and in early 2014, respectively.
  

• 2013.12.27. HONG KONG, Boeing and Cathay Pacific Airways announced that Cathay Pacific has ordered an additional 747-8 Freighter and three 777-300ER (Extended Range) airplanes. The order, valued at about $1 billion at current list prices, will bolster Cathay Pacific's 747-8 Freighter fleet and 777-300ER fleet to 14 and 53, respectively.
  

• 2014.01.08 EP-IAM Last ever flight of the 747-100 (186B) performed by Iran Air EP-IAM while ferried from the Tehran domestic airport at Mehrabad Airport to  Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA). The flight lasted only 10 minutes on three operating engines and was flown by Captain Moghadam. EP-IAM is now grounded forever at IKA after almost 35 years of service.
  

• 2014.05.02. SEATTLE, Boeing and Lufthansa celebrated the delivery of the German airline's 75th 747 on Wednesday. "Lufthansa is proud to share this milestone with Boeing," said Nico Buchholz, executive vice president, Lufthansa Group Fleet Management. "The 747 is an amazing airplane and will continue to delight our passengers for many years to come, and provide them with the ultimate in comfort and efficiency."
  

• 2014.06.28  D-ABYP Boeing delivers to Lufthansa the 1,500th 747 jetliner to come off the production line. Delivered flight DLH9881-EDDF  
  

• 2014.08.28. EVERETT, Wash., VQ-BVB+BVC Boeing and Silk Way Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the airline's two 747-8 Freighters. The first airplane delivered last week and the second airplane delivered today. Both new 747-8 Freighters will bring new levels of efficiency to the Baku, Azerbaijan-based cargo carrier.
  

• 2014.09.29. EVERETT, Wash., B-2485 Boeing and Air China today celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 747-8 Intercontinental. Air China is the first carrier in Asia to operate the passenger version of the new, fuel-efficient 747-8. The new airplane is the first of seven 747-8 Intercontinentals Air China has on order. Delivered flight CCA78-ZBAA 9/30/2014.
  

• 2015.06.17. LE BOURGET, France, Boeing and Volga-Dnepr Group, a world leader in transportation of unique, oversize and heavy cargo, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further the Group’s fleet expansion with 20 additional 747-8 Freighters, valued at $7.4 billion at list prices.
  

• 2015.08.25. EVERETT, Wash., HL7630 Boeing and Korean Air today marked the delivery of the airline's first 747-8 Intercontinental. The new fuel-efficient jet is the first of 10 747-8 passenger airplanes the carrier has on order. "This new aircraft delivers better fuel economy," said Walter Cho, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Korean Air. "That is important to a global airline such as ours. And it supports our goal to build and operate a first-class fleet of world-class aircraft." With this delivery, Korean Air becomes the first airline in the world to operate both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8. Korean Air currently operates seven 747-8 Freighters.
  

• 2015.09.17. SEATTLE, Boeing today announced that 747 fuselage panels will be built at its Macon, Georgia facility beginning in 2018. Boeing will take over the work from Triumph Aerostructures – Vought Aircraft Division, a wholly owned subsidiary of Triumph Group, Inc., with the Macon site providing assembled fuselage panels to Boeing's 747 final assembly line in Everett, Washington. Boeing and Triumph Aerostructures have worked together to ensure a smooth transition for the 747 supply chain.
  

• 2015.11.18. MOSCOW, VQ-BFU + VQ-BFE Boeing delivered two 747-8 Freighters to AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group, and one of the leading international scheduled air cargo carriers.The airplanes are the first to be delivered as part a memorandum of understanding, signed between Boeing and Volga-Dnepr Group at the Paris Air Show in June 2015. The deal calls for more 747-8 Freighters to continue to help ABC provide some of the best cargo carrying service in the world.