March 29, 2020 – Vancouver, Canada
By Henry Tenby

It is with great sadness that KLM Royal Dutch Airlines retired their passenger 747-400 fleet today with the final flight being an inbound combi flight from Mexico City.

Henry Tenby with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

I received a message this morning from my good friend Niels Dam who was specially in Amsterdam in the vacinity of Schiphol airport to witness the historic event of KLM’s final Boeing 747 passenger flight operating today. Amid the global economic downturn of the COVID crisis, airlines all around the world are parking their fleets in a fight for survival in the wake of evaporating passenger traffic as the world’s populations go into self-isolation mode.

Niels reported the inbound 747 from Mexico City did a wing wave while on finals, and the pilot made a special speech over the frequency thanking the world’s aviation fans for their interest in the aircraft and expressing his sadness that it was not possible for aviation fans to be present in droves for the event, due to the COVID situation, in the same way the Fokker 70 was retired from the KLM fleet back in November of 2018.

Niels Dam photographed the arrival of the last ever KLM Boeing 747-400 passenger flight at AMS Schiphol inbound from Mexico City, on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

KLM really had no interest in promoting or discussing the significance of their passenger 747 retirement by doing any media reachouts, discussions or assistence on the matter. A message of inquirey sent a few weeks ago to KLM’s PR office generated a two word response that nothing was planned. Which was really out of character for KLM, specially considering the massive contribution the Boeing 747 played in the development of the airlines history over the past 50 years that the type has been in service with the company.

So what of the future for KLM’s 747s? For certain the passenger fleet is officially retired and parked at Schiphol airport as we are still in early days of the COVID crisis. If the aircraft are parted out and scrapped on site or ferried elsewhere, that is surely their end of the line. That said, the fleet is well maintained and could very easily be re activated if a future return to normal warrants their use on re animated routes.

The aircraft are probably long since paid for, so it would seem in haste to initiate immediate scrapping. If we look to past history, during downturns airlines park certain fleets only to reactivate them when times are better. Let us hope this applies to the KLM 747 passenger fleet.

KLM still retains three cargo 747 freighters, two of which are in KLM livery and one of which is in Martinair livery. No phase out date has been set for these aircraft so their flying duties will continue for the foreseeable future.

As a celebration of the Boeing 747 in the KLM fleet, Niels Dam and I spent some time exploring the retired KLM 747-300 PH-BUK that now forms a cornerstone display at the Aviodrom aviation museum as presented in the photos below.

Henry Tenby doing a main gear inspection of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands. Hydraulics look god, we need to change some balding tires for return to airworthy status!

Under belly gear study of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands looking at bit worse for wear, no this is not the boarding steps at Kinshasa, Congo!

Niels Dam with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Henry Tenby with KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam prepares to connect hydrant fuelling connection to KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands, for ferry flight to Lagos!

KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam at main cabin door of Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Niels Dam relaxing in turbine inlet of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Once familiar wing view of KLM Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Upper deck cabin view of Boeing 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Henry Tenby at passenger door of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Flightdeck view of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

Interior main deck cabin view of KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

KLM 747-300 PH-BUK at Aviodrome, Netherlands.

The first generation jetliners including the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 were factory engineered for this special engine carrying capability. Special hard points were established on the underside of the wing between the fuselage and the inboard port side engine, and aerodynamically shaped engine transport pods could be easily and quickly anchored to the hard points.

Even the DC-10 and Boeing 747 (series 100 and 200) were engineered with this special feature. Photos of a four engined DC-10 are extremely rare, and fine engine 747s are not a lot easier to find.

In May of 1972, BOAC attached a fifth engine onto one of their then new 747-136 aircraft which positioned into Zurich’s Kloten Airport with the spare engine, which was possibly bound for locally based Swissair, which had just taken delivery of two brand new 747-257Bs of their own.

The photos below were taken of that special visit by a Swissair employee who kindly gave me a small number of slides he took back in the day. (He wishes to remain anonymous.)

BOAC Boeing 747-136 5 engine ferry into ZRH MAY 1972