United Airlines (UAL) has officially bid
farewell to the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747.
The airline
recreated the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970 for
Tuesday's historic farewell journey. Flight UA747 departed from
San Francisco with service to Honolulu with more than 300
customers, employees and guests onboard.
With a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for
flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that
first flight, seats
for the flight sold out in less than 90 minutes when the
farewell celebration was announced in September.
"The
iconic 747 is a remarkably special aircraft that signaled a new
era of air travel and was equally recognizable and beloved by our customers and crew alike," said Oscar Munoz, CEO of United. "While
today is bittersweet, we'll continue to honor the Queen of the Skies' game-changing legacy of connecting people and uniting the
world with our next-generation of long-haul aircraft."
The
send-off began Tuesday morning at SFO with a gate party featuring a
747 gallery, 1970s costumes for use in a retro photo booth, a
life-size retirement card for customers and employees to sign and
of course, cake. Oscar Munoz addressed the crowd alongside State
Senator Jerry Hill and executives from Boeing and Pratt & Whitney.
Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees welcomed the
aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day,
including remarks from United leaders and Hawaii State
Representative Henry J.C. Aquino.
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