Qantas will make its last U.S. flight using the Boeing 747
on Dec. 3.
The following day the carrier will begin using a Boeing 787
Dreamliner to fly San Francisco-Sydney, which is currently its lone 747
operation to the U.S.
"The 747 has been the backbone of our international service
for more than 40 years, so it will be the end of an era and the start of
another when we farewell the Queen of the Skies from flying from mainland
America," Qantas International acting CEO Naren Kumar said in a prepared
statement.
Qantas currently has eight Dreamliners in its fleet, and is
scheduled to take delivery of six more in October. The arrival of the new
aircraft will allow Qantas to accelerate retirement of the its 747s.
The 747 made its exit from U.S. fleets in late 2017, when
Delta and United both stopped flying it.