World's first Boeing 777 retires to Arizona air museum - cathay-pacific-777-200-4.jpg

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/c...eum/index.html

(CNN) — It's 24 years old this year, but the Boeing 777 airplane is still going
strong -- it's one of the aviation manufacturer's best-selling models and is
used by airlines across the world.

But, after nearly quarter of a century of flying, the first 777 has made its
final flight -- to an aerospace museum in Arizona, where it'll see out its
retirement as a top travel attraction.

The prototype 777-200, call sign B-HNL, rolled off the production line in 1994,
eventually entering commercial service for Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific airline in
2000.

Over the years it's clocked up 20,519 flights for Cathay. That's a whopping
49,687 hours of flying time.

The venerable airplane was taken out of service in May 2018 and, after Boeing
and Cathay agreed on the donation, it touched down in Tuscon on September 19 to
begin its new life at the Pima Air & Space Museum.

Anouncing the deal, Boeing paid tribute to Cathay's role in developing the
long-range airplane -- the world's largest twin-engine jet and one of the first
to make use of fully digital fly-by-wire controls.

Cathay was one of the airlines that weighed in with design advice during the
777's development, alongside key international carriers including British
Airways, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, Delta
Air Lines, Japan Airlines and United Airlines.

"Cathay Pacific has been instrumental in the tremendous success of the 777
program," Boeing's Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister said
in a statement. "The airline contributed greatly to the airplane's original
design and has been one of its biggest ambassadors ever since."

Boeing is currently working on a new edition of the 777 -- the 777-9 is
scheduled to take off by 2019. The 777 series is widely acclaimed for bridging
the capacity difference between smaller jets and the likes of Boeing's 747
jumbo.

"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," says Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg.

Hogg said the original 777 "holds a very special place in the history of both
our airline and that of commercial aviation."



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At the beginning of its life, just a couple days after its maiden
flight, shooting up Boeing Field.