Traveling from Taiwan to Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is often a top choice due to its excellent flight record and reputation, coupled with reasonable ticket prices. This trip was initially booked simply because I had never flown on a B747 before. Later, I learned that this was the last Cathay Pacific B747-400 flight from Taipei to Hong Kong before its retirement, which led to the creation of this flight log.
Cathay Pacific’s Last B747-400 Details
2016.9.30 Taiwan Taoyuan (TPE) –> Hong Kong (HKG)
Cathay Pacific
Taipei (TPE) – Hong Kong(HKG)
CX469，B-HUJ
AIRCRAFT：Boeing 747-467 (B744)
AGE (May 1995)：21 years
In recent years, passenger aircraft have been trending towards fuel efficiency and lightweight designs. The “Queen of the Sky”, the Boeing 747, which once dominated half the globe, has four engines and high fuel and maintenance costs. As early as August last year, Cathay Pacific announced that its remaining three Boeing 747-400s would be retired between the end of 2016 and early 2017. The final retirement date was set for October 1, 2016, when the last Cathay Pacific B747-400, registered as B-HUJ, would complete its final journey from Tokyo Narita Airport to Hong Kong and then retire with honor.
▼ Cathay Pacific B747-400 parked at Taoyuan Airport’s Terminal 1.
When I initially booked this B747-400 flight, it was simply because I had never flown on a B747-400 before. With airlines worldwide retiring their B747s, future opportunities to fly on one would be increasingly rare. I had no idea this was Cathay’s last B747-400 flight. Learning this information just before departure made me feel both excited and expectant! The aircraft for this flight, registered as B-HUJ, is one of Cathay’s most famous Boeing 747s. On July 6, 1998, it flew 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 direct flight record of 7,465 nautical miles. Knowing all this made me feel incredibly lucky to be on this flight!
▼ Here is a screenshot of the flight log, showing the final flights on 9/30 and 10/1.
Because the flight took off from Taoyuan Airport’s south runway heading south, and with a tailwind, we landed in Hong Kong earlier than expected.
▼ I always choose a window seat when flying. From the tarmac, I could see an EVA Air A330-300.
▼ I took a photo of the cabin configuration while boarding. The economy class is arranged in a 3-4-3 seating layout, but because the B747-400 is a larger aircraft, it felt quite comfortable.
▼ There were actually many empty seats that day (perhaps due to no discount promotions?), with a load factor of less than 50%. My friend was discussing a surprise with the flight attendant for the end of the flight!
▼ The AVOD system seemed to have been updated, although the picture quality was still poor XD.
▼ Confirming it was indeed a B747-400 aircraft.
▼ Although there were fewer passengers that day, we still waited about 10 minutes after the cabin doors closed before starting to taxi away from the tarmac.
▼ Through the window gap, it felt like the B747-400 was saying goodbye to Taoyuan Airport.
▼ Many of the in-flight facilities showed signs of the “Queen of the Sky” aging.
▼ At 10:21 AM, we officially taxied and took off from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The weather in Taiwan was excellent that day.
▼ Perhaps because the flight wasn’t full, we quickly took off from the taxiway.
▼ Seeing Taiwan and the last encounter of Cathay’s B747-400 with Taiwan’s skies.
▼ The weather was so good that day that the entire sea surface reflected a phosphorescent glow.
▼ After reaching a certain altitude, the flight attendants quickly served a simple meal as usual.
▼ It was the same curry meat pie roll I had on my flight to Hong Kong at the end of May XD.
▼ By the time I finished my meal, we were already flying over Penghu.
▼ There was a low-pressure system in the Bashi Channel that day, which might explain the particularly thick cloud cover.
▼ After about an hour of flying, we could see Hong Kong through the clouds.
▼ Both times I landed at Hong Kong Airport, the weather was gloomy and foggy XD.
▼ At 11:41 AM, we smoothly landed at Hong Kong International Airport.
▼ Due to special arrangements, we deliberately waited for all passengers to disembark.
▼ The Premium Economy Class is configured in a 2-4-2 layout.
Those who have flown on a B747 know that it is a double-decker aircraft. Wanting to check out the upper deck facilities, my friend obtained the flight attendant’s permission before takeoff, allowing us a brief visit to the second floor after landing.
▼ The upper deck of Cathay Pacific’s B747-400 is configured as Business Class, which is very luxurious; aviation enthusiasts also come up to take photos.
▼ This setup really makes one feel that if given the chance, they should try flying Business Class XD.
As we headed towards the cockpit on the second floor, we were surprised to find the cockpit door open, with someone inside conversing with the captain. Naturally, we all moved towards the cockpit, and the captain warmly invited us in for a tour. It was truly surprising and exciting!
▼ The cockpit door on the second floor was open, and passengers were inside taking photos.
▼ Before leaving the cockpit, we obtained permission from the two captains to take photos, which made us very happy! Thank you for providing us with such a wonderful journey.
▼ Due to the need to clean the plane, we reluctantly left the cabin, but not before taking one last photo of the B747-400 before going through customs.
This flight experience was so impressive that I decided to write this record shortly after returning to Taiwan. Although Cathay Pacific’s B747-400 aircraft has officially retired, Taiwan’s two major airlines still operate B747-400s. If you haven’t flown on one yet, seize this last chance to witness the Queen of the Skies, which has dominated the skies for over 30 years!
『Original Source：https://www.phototravel.tw/香港-國泰航空末班747cx469台北香港飛行紀錄/』
