AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL, NETHERLANDS – Today is a very sad day in KLM’s 101-year history and for aviation history in general as KLM said goodbye to the most beautiful airliner ever made – the iconic KLM Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, also known as the ‘Queen of the skies’. The ‘City of Vancouver’ – with registration PH-BFV – took off around 9:15 AM local time from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for its last destination in Teruel, Spain – where it will be stored. Relive Flying Matters‘ live stream on YouTube of this historic and sad event. Enjoy, but keep the tissues within reach.

Earlier than planned, the last KLM 747 departed for the very last time at Amsterdam Schiphol. The 747 would initially fly for the Dutch national carrier KLM until May 2021 and retire after 50 years of service. But due to the ongoing corona crisis KLM has speeded up the 747’s retirement from its fleet.

The ‘City of Vancouver’ was one of the latest Boeing 747-400 combis that served for KLM. In March last year – 1 month since the corona outbreak in The Netherlands – the airline conducted the last passenger flights with the 747, but in April three 747s were deployed again as a medical cargo air bridge to Asia.

Till October 2020, only cargo was transported with the remaining 747s. Since then the last KLM 747s were parked at Schiphol-Oost, before they made their last departure from AMS.

The PH-BFV was delivered to KLM in 1999, and could transport both passengers and freight as a combi on the main deck.

This will not be a definitive goodbye to the 747 at Amsterdam Schiphol though. At least for the coming years, KLM Cargo is flying with 3 aircraft of the freighter variant of the 747, the Boeing 747-400F. Also other cargo airlines will deliver their freight at the airport with their 747-400Fs and 747-800Fs

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(Head image: YouTube / Flying Matters)