In this edition of Where Can You Fly, we take a look at all the places you can fly on the 747 from Sydney.
Once the Queen of the Skies, today the 747 is becoming a rarity at airports around the world, with more A380s in service than 747s. Despite this, 3 operators still operate 747s out of Sydney, providing service to 9 destinations.
PanAm’s Clipper Flying Cloud (N734PA) was the first 747 to arrive in Sydney on 4 October 1970, marking the start of a new era for Sydney’s aviation market. The first Qantas 747 to be based in Sydney arrived soon after in September 1971. The longest ever 747 flight arrived in Sydney from London 17 August 1989, operated by Qantas’s new 747-400 VH-OJA. At the peak of operation, more than 10 airlines operated 747s into Sydney, serving dozens of destinations.
Today, only Qantas, Thai Airways and Korean Air operate 747s into Sydney. Qantas and Thai Airways both operate the popular but ageing 747-400, whilst Korean Air operates the newer but extremely rare 747-800. Qantas has a base for 8 of its 747s in Sydney.
The routes served are;
- Bangkok – Thai Airways
- Hong Kong – Qantas
- Johannesberg – Qantas
- Los Angeles – Qantas
- New York – Qantas
- Santiago – Qantas
- San Francisco – Qantas
- Seoul – Korean Air
- Tokyo Haneda – Qantas
- Vancouver – Qantas
Transport NSW Blog 