The aircraft that heralded the arrival of the highly successful Boeing 777 is heading to a new home at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona after operating more than 20,000 flights.
Cathay Pacific and Boeing jointly announced that the historic first B777-200, line number WA001 and registered B-HNL, will fly from Hong Kong to Tucson September 18 to join 350 historic aircraft on permanent display.
There had been speculation the aircraft would end up at the Museum of Flight in Seattle but the sprawling Pima, which boasts historical aircraft ranging from a Wright Flyer to a Boeing 787 on an 80-acre site, is an equally fitting home.
Boeing first flew the 777-200 aircraft on June 12, 1994, with a test flight of 3 hours and 48 minutes that was the longest first flight for a Boeing aircraft at the time. It was one of nine test aircraft was used in the program for several years.
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The aircraft joined the Cathay Pacific fleet in 2000 and its Pratt & Whitney engines were replaced by Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 884B-17 high bypass turbofans.
A final Hong Kong-Xiamen flight saw it retired in May after 18 years of service that saw it operate 20,519 flights and record 49,687 hours of flying time.
“As the world’s very first 777, B-HNL holds a very special place in the history of both our airline and that of commercial aviation, and we are very pleased it will soon bring enjoyment to enthusiasts at its new home in Arizona,’’ Cathay chief executive Rupert Hogg said.
“Our 777-200 aircraft have served us exceptionally well over the last two decades, and as we progressively retire these over the months ahead, we eagerly look forward to welcoming the state-of-the-art 777-9 aircraft into our fleet from 2021.”
Cathay was one of a handful of airlines to provide input for the 777 at the design stage and said this gave it a unique opportunity to refine the aircraft’s features to suit its needs.
Among the requests were a cabin cross-section similar to the 747 Jumbo Jet, a modern ‘glass’ cockpit, fly-by-wire system, and, crucially, lower operating costs.
“Cathay Pacific has been instrumental in the tremendous success of the 777 program,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive Kevin McAllister.
“The airline contributed greatly to the airplane’s original design and has been one of its biggest ambassadors ever since.
“And now they are a launch customer for our new 777X airplane. We are thrilled to partner with Cathay on this donation to the museum as a way to share the remarkable story of the Boeing 777 for years to come.”
