People watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport. Reuters
People watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport. Reuters
People watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport as Qantas retires its remaining Boeing 747 planes early. Reuters
People watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport as Qantas retires its remaining Boeing 747 planes early. Reuters
A Qantas Boeing 747-400, registration VH-OEJ, passes over Waverley Cemetery as it departs Sydney on its final flight in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
A Qantas Boeing 747-400, registration VH-OEJ, passes over Waverley Cemetery as it departs Sydney on its final flight in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images
People react as they watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport. Reuters
People react as they watch the last Qantas 747 jet depart Sydney Airport. Reuters
Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas, speaks in front of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from the Sydney Airport. Reuters
Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas, speaks in front of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from the Sydney Airport. Reuters
Alan Joyce speaks in front of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from Sydney Airport. Reuters
Alan Joyce speaks in front of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from Sydney Airport. Reuters
A Qantas pilot writes a message on the bottom of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from the Sydney Airport. Reuters
A Qantas pilot writes a message on the bottom of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet, before its last departure from the Sydney Airport. Reuters
The signature of Alan Joyce is seen at the bottom of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
The signature of Alan Joyce is seen at the bottom of a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
Alan Joyce and an indigenous Australian come down from a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
Alan Joyce and an indigenous Australian come down from a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
A pilot poses on a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
A pilot poses on a Qantas 747 jumbo jet. Reuters
A Qantas 747 jumbo jet is pictured before its departure. Reuters
A Qantas 747 jumbo jet is pictured before its departure. Reuters
Qantas celebrates the departure of its last 747 jumbo jet from the Sydney Airport. Reuters
Qantas celebrates the departure of its last 747 jumbo jet from the Sydney Airport. Reuters

Last Qantas Boeing 747 flight sketches a kangaroo in the sky

The ‘Queen of the Skies’ traced the shape of the airline's logo off the Australian coast as a final flourish

Hayley Skirka
Hayley Skirka

July 23, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Qantas's last remaining Boeing 747 traced the outline of a kangaroo in the air around Sydney on its final flight.

The Australian airline closed the book on almost five decades of flying the jet on Wednesday, July 23, when the last 747-400 departed Sydney Airport.

But before it headed to the United States, the plane's flight path formed the airline's marsupial logo in the sky.

Flight QF7474 departed Sydney just after 3pm (9am UAE time) bound for Los Angeles. Captain Sharelle Quinn, the airline's first female captain, was in command.

After several photo opportunities at the airport, Quinn took the 747 on a flyby over Sydney Harbour, the city's Central Business District and the beaches of the northern and eastern suburbs.

Images of the flight path from FlightRadar24 show that the jet beautifully traced out the shape of a kangaroo – Australia's national animal – in the air.

Captain Quinn and crew traced the outline of the Qantas logo in the air on the final Boeing 747 flight to leave Australia on July 22. Reuters
Captain Quinn and crew traced the outline of the Qantas logo in the air on the final Boeing 747 flight to leave Australia on July 22. Reuters

"I have flown this aircraft for 36 years and it has been an absolute privilege," Quinn said.

“From the Pope to pop stars, our 747s have carried over 250 million people safely to their destinations."

The jet also did a low-level overfly of Hars Aviation Museum, dipping its wings in a final farewell to the very first Qantas 747-400, which is preserved there.

The crew took the 747 onwards to the US where it landed in Los Angeles just after 1pm (midnight UAE time).

On Friday, the jet will make the 30-minute flight to the Mojave Desert, where it will join hundreds of other jets in its final resting place, in one of the world’s biggest aircraft boneyards.

Qantas has grounded most international flights until at least July 2021 because of Australian government travel restrictions. Ahead of its grounding, the 747 registration VH-OEJ proved its worth on several rescue missions to bring hundreds of stranded Australians home from the Covid-19 epicentre of Wuhan, China.

Qantas has been flying the Boeing 747 superjumbo for five decades. Courtesy Qantas
Qantas has been flying the Boeing 747 superjumbo for five decades. Courtesy Qantas

Over the past few weeks, Qantas gave Australians the opportunity to take one last flight on the storied Boeing 747. The airline always planned to retire the aircraft because of its hungry four-engine design, but the coronavirus pandemic accelerated the decision.

The jet will join hundreds of other aircraft in its final resting place in one of the world's biggest aircraft boneyards in the Mojave Desert

The airline operated three one-hour flights dubbed "farewell jumbo joy flights". These departed from Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, and gave aviation fans a low-level pleasure trip over each city.

Tickets for the flights cost $400 (Dh1,038) for economy and $747 for business class and sold out 10 minutes after going on sale.

Ross Corrigan was one of the lucky passengers who managed to get tickets for a farewell flight.

He captured this incredible footage of Sydney from the window of the pleasure flight:

Qantas also hosted a hangar farewell event for employees ahead of the final take off. Staff remembered the airline's first delivery of a 747 (a 200 series) in August 1971, the same year that Australia opened its first McDonald's.

With its sprawling wings – big enough to span the length of 50 parked cars – the jet made international travel possible for millions of people for the first time. Qantas 747s were also at the forefront of a number of important milestones for the airline, including the first business class cabin of any airline in the world.

British Airways retires its 747 fleet

British Airways will retire its Boeing 747 fleet immediately, owing to a drop in demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Courtesy British Airways
British Airways will retire its Boeing 747 fleet immediately, owing to a drop in demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Courtesy British Airways

In the same week as Qantas said goodbye to the Boeing 747 jumbo jet, British Airways announced it was accelerating retirement plans for its fleet of the same aircraft because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The British airline, which owns 31 of the planes, said it would retire the jets with immediate effect because aviation levels are not predicted to recover to 2019 numbers until at least 2023.

The announcement came four years premature for British Airways, which had recently repainted three 747s in heritage colours as part of its centenary celebrations.

British Airways has been slowly phasing out the jumbo jets, which use more fuel than newer aircraft, in a bid to reach its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“This is not how we wanted or expected to have to say goodbye to our incredible fleet of 747 aircraft. It is a heart-breaking decision to have to make," said Alex Cruz, chief executive of British Airways.

“The retirement of the jumbo jet will be felt by many people across Britain, as well as by all of us at British Airways. It is sadly another difficult but necessary step as we prepare for a very different future.”

A legacy of flight

British Airways operated its first 747 flight on April 14, 1971, flying from London to New York.

In July 1989, the airline's first 747-400 – the same type that BA flies today – took to the skies, and in 1999, the airline took delivery of its last 747.

The 747 takes off for its first flight in 1969. All images courtesy Boeing
The 747 takes off for its first flight in 1969. All images courtesy Boeing
Flight attendants pose in front of the jumbo jet.
Flight attendants pose in front of the jumbo jet.
The Boeing 747 next to the 707.
The Boeing 747 next to the 707.
Crowds tour the 747 for a closer look.
Crowds tour the 747 for a closer look.
The iconic 747 nose.
The iconic 747 nose.
A close-up of the early 747 engines.
A close-up of the early 747 engines.
A mock-up of the 747 interior.
A mock-up of the 747 interior.
The first 747 flight in 1969.
The first 747 flight in 1969.
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
The flight crew for the first flight in 1969.
The flight crew for the first flight in 1969.
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
Joe Sutter headed the design team and has since been known as the “Father of the 747.”
Joe Sutter headed the design team and has since been known as the “Father of the 747.”
The first 747 flight in 1969.
The first 747 flight in 1969.
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
A 747 byline on the occasion of the Queen of the Skies 50th first flight anniversary. All photos by Boeing
Pan Am 747s in the factory.
Pan Am 747s in the factory.
Model mock-ups of the 747.
Model mock-ups of the 747.
Crowds queue to board a 747 at an air show.
Crowds queue to board a 747 at an air show.
The first 747 flight in 1969.
The first 747 flight in 1969.
The 747 marked the first commercial use of the high bypass turbofan engine.
The 747 marked the first commercial use of the high bypass turbofan engine.
A Boeing 747-400 flies alongside a 737-400.
A Boeing 747-400 flies alongside a 737-400.
Balast tanks during the assembly of the 747.
Balast tanks during the assembly of the 747.
A stamp on the side of the Boeing plant at Everett, Washington.
A stamp on the side of the Boeing plant at Everett, Washington.
747 project test pilot Jack Waddell.
747 project test pilot Jack Waddell.

The 747 was the largest commercial aircraft in the world until the Airbus A380 came along in 2007 and set several records.

It was the first aircraft to have a flatbed seat, pioneered by British Airways in 1999. Qantas used the jet to fly the world's first non-stop commercial flight from London to Sydney in 20 hours and nine minutes. That 30-year record was only broken in 2019, when Qantas operated a 787 Dreamliner from London to Sydney direct in 19 hours and 19 minutes.

The pandemic has sparked an early end to the 747's lifespan. Virgin Atlantic and KLM are also hastening retirement plans for the jet owing to the lack of international travel demand. A dwindling number of airlines, including Air India and Korean Air, continue to fly the jumbo.

British Airways' 747s are currently grounded in the UK. They are expected to join Qantas' final Boeing 747 by reaching 35,000 feet one last time when they head to their final resting place.

The specs
 
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
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Two products to make at home

Toilet cleaner

1 cup baking soda 

1 cup castile soap

10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice) 

Method:

1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.

2. Add the essential oil to the mix.

Air Freshener

100ml water 

5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this) 

Method:

1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.

2. Shake well before use. 

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'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

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How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

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Name: Yousef Al Bahar

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Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

List of alleged parties

 

May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff 

May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'

Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff 

Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson 

Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party

Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters 

Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz 

Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party 

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Company profile

Company: Eighty6 

Date started: October 2021 

Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh 

Based: Dubai, UAE 

Sector: Hospitality 

Size: 25 employees 

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investment: $1 million 

Investors: Seed funding, angel investors  

Europe's top EV producers
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Source: VCOe 

'I Want You Back'

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Rating:4/5

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Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm

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Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km

Price: Dh179,999-plus

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JOURNALISM 

Public Service
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Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.

Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times

Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post

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Staff of The Baltimore Sun

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T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica

and    

Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times

International Reporting
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Feature Writing
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Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press

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LETTERS AND DRAMA

Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)

Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson

History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)

Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)

Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)

General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

and

"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)

Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019

Special Citation
Ida B. Wells

 

'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness' 

   

 

Director: Sam Raimi

 

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams

 

Rating: 3/5

 
'Top Gun: Maverick'

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Joseph Kosinski

 

Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris

 
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