One man’s Boeing 747 obsession

The first flight: My first flight on a Boeing 747 was in 1993 onboard United Airlines Flight 800, a famous flight number inherited from Pan Am. The flight was from Hong Kong to Tokyo Narita. It was a brand new 747-400. Since then, I have flown a total of 279 times on the Boeing 747 across all models and variants across 37 operators in the world. These operators, of course, include Air India. I have been on every single commercial type of B747. So, the only B747s that are left would be the Air Force One, or specially modified 747s, which are mostly used for defence or non commercial purposes.

How it all began: I grew up in Hong Kong in the pre-digital era when entertainment options were not as numerous as they are today. But I did have Kai Tak Airport close by, and every second plane landing or taking off would be a 747. I’ve spent many hours watching countless 747s making ‘the final turn’ to land, or speed down the runway on their way to countless exotic locations. Watching a 747 taxi close to the airport fence and waving at passengers inside the aircraft count among some of my fondest memories.

Also read: Boeing set to bag mega deal for 737 Max jets from Rakesh Jhunjhunwala’s Akasa: Report

The most interesting experiences he’s had aboard Boeing 747s: Each of my 279 flights is special to me.

Apart from the standard passenger models, I have flown some unusual B747 variants. These include a VIP aircraft that once belonged to the royal family of Qatar, which I flew on in 2019. Highlights included, and obviously so, 12 La-Z-Boy seats in the upper deck, a master bedroom with a bathroom, a special Majlis area (meeting room) with a blue ‘throne’ seat, a dining hall, and sections dedicated to the staffers attached to the royal family. This June, I travelled aboard a National Airlines B747 cargo flight carrying humanitarian cargo to Pakistan and Nepal. I flew 40 hours from Germany to South Asia and China and onward to the US and personally witnessed the challenges of operating cargo flights during the pandemic.

Sam Chui flew on a VIP 747 aircraft that once belonged to the royal family of Qatar in 2019.

The impact of Covid-19 on business travel: The pandemic has literally reset the airline game. The travellers’ profile has changed considerably and these days, I see most of the premium cabins occupied by leisure travellers who value space and privacy. In the United States, there are some encouraging signs of a rebound in business travel, but international business travel will take a lot more time to recover due to inconsistent border policies. Also, airlines have been forced to retire less efficient and older models such as most B747s and the Airbus A340 and A380. But some airlines such as Lufthansa are bringing back their B747-400s now, and that is good news.

The fading out of quad-jets: Aviation is rapidly evolving, so it is natural that more efficient twin-engine jets are taking over from the quad jet. From an operator’s stand point, it is all about the economics. The fuel burn and maintenance of two engines is far less than four engines. While many B747 passenger models have been retired, these aircraft are still in demand, as companies increasingly look to used B747s to turn them into cargo planes, or for spare parts.

What’s interesting is that the last Airbus A380 (also a quad jet) will be delivered to Emirates next month, marking the end of a production run of just 15 years. So the B747 has really outlasted the A380 in a way!

Also read: Tale of two companies: Airbus recovers as Boeing reels