QF 744 retirement. Where is it at?

[Patrick M]

Yeah, I'm also wonder who's next. Maybe it's OJI leaving only TWO non-refitted 744s. OJM which I flew on nearly 3 years ago and OEB which I saw when I went planespotting last January.
I bet they're thinking 'Please D Check us and refit our cabins like our younger sisters' Lol!

[Dennis McLean]

If we look at the 744 flight requirements with 12 in the fleet it is:

SYD/NRT(HND from 1 August) and SYD/JNB = 3 if they just turn around each day.
SYD/HKG = 1
SYD/LAX = 2
SYD/SCL = 1 plus Sat (spare days 6)
BNE/LAX/JFK = 2
MEL/LAX = 1 (spare day 1 in LAX)

That requires 10 Aircraft daily plus Sat = 11

When the Vancouver flights are running on 146/361, it is I more aircraft = 12. There is little fat in the fleet.

So how can any 744s leave the fleet till something new arrives?????

[Ash W]

Originally Posted by Dennis McLean

So how can any 744s leave the fleet till something new arrives?????

That has been the question many have had since the retirement plan was first announced. Number just don't add up.

[Fred C]

VH-OJI will be the next to go. Probably sometime in May.

VH-OJM is due to go for heavy maint shortly, so one can presume they will be keeping that for longer. It also has the new roo on it.

[Dennis McLean]

Thanks Fred. So if OJI leaves and OJM goes in for perhaps 6 weeks D check that leaves 10. They cannot run the current flights with 10. ???? Unless the 2extra 380's miraculously turn up out of the blue????? who knows. There have also been some rumours about new 747-8's, for Dubai/Berlin. Dreams again.

[Dave Dale]

I'd love to know where the rumours of 747-8s came from?

[MarkR]

Boeing would need to get Project Ozark completed first before there is the possibility of any QF 747-8s in pax config.

[Alex Ch]

They cannot run the current flights with 10. ????

Not to mention charter flights like -OJI last week operating for the RAAF to the Middle East and -OEI this week doing the flight to Gallipoli.

And that's before you factor in the cover the 744s need to do for the u/s dugongs (-OQF out until June)

[C Patters]

What's happened to OQF? Why is she out until June?

[Wenglock M]

Apparently because a jack (or jacks) supporting one of the stabilisers failed while she was in the hangar...