747 historical events 1994-2000 - 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 | 1994-2000

• 1994: Boeing offers the US Air Force a derivative of the 747-400F dubbed the NDAA (Non Developmental Alternative Airlifter); USAF buys C-17 transports instead.
  

• 1995.12.11  JA8966 the last 400D Domestic delivered to All Nippon Airways.
  

• 1996: Boeing studies 747-500X and 747-600X designs, which are subsequently cancelled. Later on Boeing briefs airline executives on a larger 747-700X model, which is studied but eventually also cancelled.
  

• July 1996  The 500X and 600X stretched 747s are proposed at the Farnborough Airshow with little interest shown.
  

• 1997.01.28 G-VTOP Boeing delivers 1,100th 747, a 747-400, to England's Virgin Atlantic Airways and Los Angeles-based International Lease Finance Corp.
  

• 1997.04.23  Boeing and Lufthansa German Airlines celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first 747-200 Freighter delivery.
  

• 1998.07.06 B-HUJ Cathay Pacific's 747-467 B-HUJ first airliner to land at Hong Kong's new Chek Lap Kok International Airport, after a record-breaking flight in terms of distance for the longest commercial flight, from New York, over the North Pole, a distance of over 6,582 miles (10,590km), lasting 15 hours and 24 minutes.
  

• 1998.09.30  Boeing celebrates 30th anniversary of the first 747-100 to roll out of the Everett factory. A new 747 slogan is revealed at the ceremony: "Boeing 747 - The Leader, The Legend."
  

• 1998.10.01  U.S. Air Force announces planned purchase of YAL-1 airborne laser aircraft, based on a 747-400.
  

• 1998.10.30 G-CIVZ Boeing and British Airways celebrate the delivery of the airline's 50th 747-400.  
  

• 1998.11.19 JA8915 Boeing and Japan Airlines celebrate the delivery of the airline's 100th 747.
  

• 1999.02.15  Boeing celebrates completion of digitizing the 747 fuselage and utilizing new fuselage tooling, a four-year effort that results in simplified airplane assembly and improved quality.
  

• 1999.02.17 G-BYGF Boeing delivered 1,200th 747, a 747-400 to British Airways.
  

• 1999.04.21 The last 400M Combi ordered.
  

• 1999.04.22 N121UA United Airlines takes delivery of its 75th 747, a 747-422.  
  

• 1999.08.10  Major assembly begins on first 747-400 Freighter to be used as platform for U.S. Air Force's Airborne Laser program.
  

• 1999.11.15  U.S. Postal Service unveils 747 postage stamp, which Boeing places on its factory doors: world's largest stamp on world's largest building that produces world's largest commercial airplane.
  

• 2000.11.28  Boeing launches newest member of the 747 Family, the Longer-Range 747-400ER with an order from QANTAS Australia.
  

• 2000.12.14  Factory rollout of China Airlines 747-400 Freighter, 2000's 15th 747-400 Freighter, a new single-year record.
  

• 2000.12.19 First 747-400ER order placed by QANTAS.