On New Year’s Eve, in honor of the inauguration of Brazil’s 39th president (and 35th), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, political leaders from around the world flew to Brazil to be present for the ceremony. One delegation, however, stood out for the size of the aircraft type in use. It was none other than one of China’s rare passenger Boeing 747-400.
Introducing the sole Queen of the Skies
Making their way from Beijing to Milan for a quick technical stop before arriving in Brasília–Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek International Airport (BSB) onboard a Boeing 747-400 that day was Chinese President Xi Jinping and Vice President Wang Qishan. The aircraft that made the flight journey was registered B-2472 and operated by the state-owned flag carrier Air China.
Aged nearly 23 years old, stands as one of the very few passenger Boeing 747-400s in the nation, and surprisingly the widebody has been with Air China since rolling off the production line in 2000. As of July last year, the aircraft accumulated an impressive total of 28,275 flight hours through 5,499 flight cycles.
When it was used for the long-haul routes, the initial configuration that B-2472 held was 10 seats in first class, 42 seats in business class, and 292 seats in economy class. However, the Boeing widebody was reconfigured to VIP usage in 2011, for use by the President and other senior government officials, before being reconfigured once again to its original settings in August 2020.
Using passenger aircraft for official state visits
Though interestingly, Air China already has a dedicated Boeing 747-8 operating for the Chinese Government since 2016. Registered B-2479, the longer widebody is already in the VIP configuration, so President Xi and Vice President Wang’s decision to fly onboard B-2472 instead seems curious, though it’s not the first time passenger aircraft were used for official state visits.
Historically, the Chinese Government used to fly three other Boeing 747-400s for official state travel. One was the now-retired B-2443, which held the same passenger configuration as B-2472. Unfortunately, the older aircraft was withdrawn from use and stored at Beijing Capital International Airport in March 2015, where it has since been scrapped.
Another similar aircraft with the same configuration was B-2445, although the nearly 29-year-old aircraft is still with Air China today but was last flown in March last year. And finally, there was B-2447 with the same cabin settings, though the widebody was recently reactivated for domestic services on the Beijing-Shenzhen route.
Bottom line
The sight of B-2472 in Brazil was certainly an eye-catching treat for government delegations and aviation enthusiasts alike, especially since jumbojets are more of a rare breed amongst the global airline fleets these days.
And while the aircraft is currently being used for state operations, the reactivation of the other Boeing 747-400s within Air China’s fleet could signify an anticipated return of the aircraft to commercial service. With China’s reopening today, there is indeed a likely possibility.
Source: Aeroin
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Air China
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- CA/CCA
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Beijing Capital Airport, Beijing Daxing Airport, Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1988
- Alliance:
- Star Alliance
- CEO:
- Cai Jianjiang
- Country:
- China
- Airline Group:
- Air China Group
-
Boeing
- Stock Code:
- BA
- Date Founded:
- 1916-07-15
- CEO:
- Dave Calhoun
- Headquarters Location:
- Chicago, USA
- Key Product Lines:
- Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787
- Business Type:
- Planemaker
