#farewell747

Boeing 747-100 Aer Lingus

Registration: EI-ASI Named: St Colmcille Type: 747-148 Engines: 4 × PW JT9D-7A Serial Number: 19744 First flight: Nov 3, 1970

Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland. The airline's head office is on the grounds of Dublin Airport in Cloghran, County Dublin. Aer Lingus was founded on 15 April 1936. On 15 December 1970, Aer Lingus took delivery of the first of two Boeing 747s for use on the transatlantic routes. The company later purchased a third for its fleet but quickly offered it for lease because it was not initially profitable for the company to fly 747s across the Atlantic. On 2 October 1995, the Boeing 747 service ceased operations after twenty-five years of service. By that time, over eight million people had travelled across the Atlantic in Aer Lingus Boeing 747s.

Boeing 747-400 Cathay Pacific

Registration: B-HUJ Type: 747-467 Engines: 4 × RR RB211-524G/H-T Serial Number: 27595 First flight: May 14, 1995

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, more widely known as Cathay Pacific, is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. In 1979, the first Boeing 747 VR-HKG arrived in Hong Kong. With its introduction into the company's fleet, Cathay Pacific has transformed from a regional carrier into a global player with a network of long-haul flights. This legacy continued with the new and improved 747-400, introduced in 1989, which opened up many more non-stop, long-haul destinations across Europe and North America – connecting people across all corners of the world. For the last memorable flight, marked by a flight over Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, tickets were sold out in a matter of minutes.