B747-flåten avtar

Airlines Cut 747s From Asia-Pacific Networks

Boeing 747s face shrinking role on transpacific routes


The long reign of the Boeing 747-400 on intercontinental routes is coming to an end, and nowhere is this more apparent than on transpacific flights. While Delta Air Lines is culling 747s from its Asian routes as part of a network overhaul, other carriers around the Pacific Rim are phasing out the aircraft entirely.

The 747 is steadily being pushed out of long-haul passenger fleets in favor of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft. The trend has been evident for years, but has recently been accelerating. At least three airlines-Cathay Pacific Airways, Philippine Airlines and Air New Zealand-have retired the last of their passenger 747s during the past few weeks.

Delta is planning to retire three of its 16 747s by the end of this month, with a fourth to be parked. The cuts allow it to "down-gauge" routes between North American and Asian cities to smaller widebodies such as Boeing 777s, and the move is also linked to a broader rethink of its Asian strategy.

"The 747 is a tough airplane [to operate], with its four engines and its large gauge," Delta Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson told investors at a recent Cowen & Co. conference. The carrier gained the 747s after its merger with Northwest Airlines in 2009.