VH-OJR 747-438 for sale

[Adam.S]

Originally Posted by Dave Dale

I see on the Boeing website that VH-OJR becomes available in October 2010 for sale.

Does anyone know if it will be withdrawn from service at that time...

Dave

Is the timing not related/dependent on the arrival of the 6th QF A380 into service?

-adam

[Dave Dale]

Hi people

Just checking in to see if anyone knows anything further about VH-OJR leaving the fleet in October?

Dave

[Sarah C]

Originally Posted by Dave Dale

Hi people

Just checking in to see if anyone knows anything further about VH-OJR leaving the fleet in October?

Dave

Yes it is - operated its last revenue service last week (to JNB I believe). It will return to the leasing company in a few weeks.

[Jason H]

Its last flight was QF64 from Jo'burg arriving in Sydney on Sep23

Does anyone know if it is being stored in Avalon or is it still in Sydney?

[Oliver Gigacz]

Looks like it is being stored in Sydney.

[Bob C]

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the information which is greatly appreciated.

However, I'm wondering if you can answer a question I have about -OJR ? I was under the impression that the -38 suffix was allocated by Boeing for aircraft being built for QANTAS ; hence -OJR being a B747-438.

But you mention that it "will be returned to the leasing company in a few weeks" which confuses me somewhat. By having the -38 suffix I thought -OJR would have been built for and owned outright by QANTAS whereas if had been built for a leasing company it may have a suffix of Q8, BQ, KG etc.

So perhaps it may have been sold to a leasing company and leased back by QANTAS.

Are you able to clarify ?

Cheers

Bob

[Sarah C]

Originally Posted by Bob C

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the information which is greatly appreciated.

So perhaps it may have been sold to a leasing company and leased back by QANTAS.

Bingo - QF own the aircraft, but the leasing company 'purchased' it and leased it to QF. The lease has run out so the leasing company is selling it.

It is going to Avalon shortly.

[Dave Dale]

Originally Posted by Sarah C

Bingo - QF own the aircraft, but the leasing company 'purchased' it and leased it to QF. The lease has run out so the leasing company is selling it.

It is going to Avalon shortly.

Thank you to all answering my query. Do we know if there is a buyer? Finally, like all Qantas loyalists, it's sad to see another 747 leave the fleet.

Dave

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Sarah C

Bingo - QF own the aircraft, but the leasing company 'purchased' it and leased it to QF. The lease has run out so the leasing company is selling it.

It is going to Avalon shortly.

Think in this case it is an example of where Qantas has "sold" an aircraft they owned to a leasing company and then "leased" it back.

A quick search of the CASA registar will show who really owns the aircraft. A lot of Qantas aircraft are owned by leasing companies that are just shelf companies owned by Qantas. Guess there is some good fiscal reason they do this, as most Qantas aircraft are set-up this way.

-OJT for example is owned by a company called FITZROY LEASING LIMITED, which has a registered address of 203 Coward Street Mascot, ie it is Qantas.

It looks like -OJR was 'sold' in about 2005 to a leasing company called RIL AVIATION OJR PTY LIMITED.

[Gavin Otto]

RIL Aviation is a company that was associated (but not owned by) with the Allco Financial Group (which has collapsed). The owners of the 35 RIL Aviation companies which has a mixture of Qantas, Jetstar and Cathay aircraft. The sole director of RIL is Geoffrey Knghorn who is the son of Allco founder John Kinghorn.