Summary
When traveling from Taiwan to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airlines is often the preferred choice due to its good flight record, reputation, and reasonable ticket prices. This time, I booked this flight because I had never flown on a B747 before. Later, I found out that this flight was the last Taipei to Hong Kong flight for Cathay Pacific’s B747-400 before retirement, which led to the creation of this flight record. Cathay Pacific Airlines’ last B747-400 information
2016.9.30 Taiwan Taoyuan (TPE) -> Hong Kong (HKG)
Cathay Pacific Airlines
Taipei (TPE) – Hong Kong (HKG)
CX469, B-HUJ
AIRCRAFT: Boeing 747-467 (B744)
AGE (May 1995): 21 years
In recent years, with the development of trends towards fuel efficiency and lightweight aircraft, the “Queen of the Skies” Boeing 747, which once dominated the sky for more than half the world, has been retired by Cathay Pacific Airlines. As early as August last year, Cathay Pacific Airlines announced the retirement of the remaining three Boeing 747-400 aircraft, which took place from the end of 2016 to early 2017. The last definite retirement date this year was October 1, 2016, when the last Cathay Pacific Airlines B747-400 aircraft, registered as B-HUJ, completed its final journey from Tokyo Narita Airport to Hong Kong and retired with honor.
▼ Cathay Pacific Airlines’ B747-400 aircraft parked at Terminal 1 of Taoyuan Airport.
Actually, when I initially booked this B747-400 flight, it was simply because I had never flown on a B747-400 before. Considering that airlines around the world have been retiring their B747s one after another, it would be increasingly difficult to have the opportunity to fly on one in the future. I had no idea that this would be the last Cathay Pacific B747-400 aircraft. It wasn’t until shortly before departure that I learned this information, and I was both excited and looking forward to it! This flight, operated by aircraft B-HUJ, is Cathay Pacific’s most famous Boeing 747 aircraft. On July 6, 1998, it flew for 15.5 hours from New York and became the first aircraft to land at the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. It was also the first aircraft to fly over the North Pole (Polar 1) and cross the previously restricted Russian airspace, setting a record for a non-stop flight of 7,465 nautical miles. After reading all this information, I feel even luckier to have been able to fly on it!
▼ Attached is a screenshot of the flight record from flightradar24. The final flights were on 9/30 and 10/1.
Because we took off from the south runway at Taoyuan Airport and had a tailwind, we arrived in Hong Kong at Chek Lap Kok Airport earlier than expected.
▼ I always intentionally choose a window seat so that I can see the China Airlines A330-300 aircraft on the tarmac.
▼ I took a photo of the cabin configuration while boarding. The economy class has a 3-4-3 seating arrangement, but because the 747-400 is a larger aircraft, it was quite comfortable.
▼ There were actually quite a few empty seats that day (maybe because there were no discounted fares?), so the load factor was probably less than 50%. My friend and I were communicating with the flight attendants for a surprise at the end of the article!
▼ The AVOD system seems to have been updated, although the picture quality is still not great XD
▼ It’s a real B747-400 aircraft.
▼ Although there were fewer passengers that day, we still had to wait for about 10 minutes after closing the cabin door before we started to push back from the gate.
▼ Through the gap in the window, it felt like the B747-400 was saying goodbye to Taoyuan Airport.
▼ From inside the aircraft, you can see the signs of aging on this “Queen of the Skies.”
▼ At 10:21 in the morning, we officially accelerated and took off from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The weather in Taiwan was very good that day.
▼ Maybe because the flight wasn’t full, we quickly took off from the runway.
▼ I saw Taiwan and had my last encounter with Cathay Pacific’s B747-400 over Taiwanese airspace.
▼ Because the weather was good that day, the sea surface was reflecting phosphorescence.
▼ After reaching a certain altitude, the flight attendants quickly served a simple meal, as is customary.
▼ It was the same curry meat roll as the one I had when flying to Hong Kong at the end of May XD.
▼ After finishing the meal, we were already flying over the Penghu Islands.
▼ Maybe because there was a low-pressure system in the Taiwan Strait that day, the cloud cover seemed thicker than usual.
▼ After about an hour of flying, we could see Hong Kong in the clouds.
▼ Both times I landed at Hong Kong Airport, the weather was cloudy XD.
▼ At 11:41 in the morning, we landed smoothly at Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok Airport.
▼ Due to a special arrangement, we deliberately waited for all the passengers to disembark.
▼ The selected economy class configuration is 2-4-2.
Friends who have flown on a B747 probably know that it is a double-decker aircraft. Because I wanted to see the cabin facilities on the upper deck, I obtained the flight attendants’ permission before takeoff to briefly visit the second floor after landing.
▼ The upper deck of Cathay Pacific Airlines’ B747-400 is the business class configuration, which is very luxurious. Aviation enthusiasts also came up to take photos.
▼ This configuration really makes me want to try the business class XD.
As we made our way to the cockpit on the second floor, we were surprised to find that the cockpit door was open and someone was inside talking to the captain. So we walked towards the cockpit, and the captain warmly invited us to enter and visit the cockpit. It was truly a delightful and exciting experience!
▼ The cockpit door on the second floor was open, and a passenger was inside taking photos.
▼ Before leaving the cockpit, we obtained the consent of the two captains to take photos. We were really happy! Thank you for giving us this wonderful journey.
▼ Because we had to tidy up the aircraft, although we were reluctant, we still left the cabin and took one last photo of the B747-400 before going through immigration.
Because this flight record was so memorable, I decided to start writing this record shortly after returning to Taiwan. Although Cathay Pacific Airlines’ B747-400 aircraft has officially retired, both of Taiwan’s major airlines still have B747-400 aircraft in operation. If you haven’t flown on one yet, seize the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the “Queen of the Skies” before it’s too late!
