MSGID: 2:292/854 1c3e2b42   
   TZUTC: 0100                     
   A Boeing 747-8 is being dismantled for the first time. The ten-year-old   
   aircraft with registration N458BJ is being stripped of valuable parts in   
   Marana, Arizona, on behalf of Boeing. These can then be reused in other Jumbo   
   jets.   
       
   Boeing built the N458BJ more than ten years ago for the Saudi crown prince   
   Sultan bin Abdulaziz, but the prince died before he could use the aircraft.   
   The 747 was then transferred to Basel in Switzerland for the installation of a   
   luxurious VIP interior.   
       
   It soon became clear that Saudi Arabia was no longer interested in the   
   aircraft, which is why it remained unused in Basel for years. The contract for   
   the adjustments to the interior was canceled and the aircraft was for sale for   
   a long time. For a long time no one was willing to pay the desired amount.   
       
   In 2019, the 747 was taken over by leasing company Aircraft Finance Germany   
   (AFG), but that party also failed to find a customer for it, after which AFG   
   sold the aircraft back to Boeing at the beginning of this year. The American   
   aircraft manufacturer is now dismantling the aircraft.   
       
   According to various media this Jumbo jet has flown less than twenty times in   
   total. The last flight took place in April, from Basel to Pinal Airpark in   
   Marana, Arizona. Many aircraft are dismantled or stored for long periods at   
   that airport.   
       
   The 747-8 is the last generation of 747s. The type was developed by Boeing as   
   a competitor to the A380, but like the double-decker Airbus, it never became a   
   great success. The non-VIP passenger version only flies with three airlines   
   (Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China).   
       
   Early next year, Boeing will deliver the very last new 747-8, a freighter that   
   will fly for Kuehne+Nagel at Atlas Air. On Sunday, that aircraft made its   
   first test flight. The production line is already being dismantled. Airlines   
   prefer to opt for more economical, twin-engine aircraft.   
      
   --- DB4 - 20220519   
    * Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/123 15/0 80/1 90/1 105/81 106/201 120/340 123/131 129/305   
   SEEN-BY: 153/7715 221/1 226/30 229/110 111 112 113 114 307 317 400   
   SEEN-BY: 229/424 426 428 470 664 700 280/464 282/1038 292/854 8125   
   SEEN-BY: 301/1 317/3 320/219 322/757 335/364 342/200 396/45 460/58   
   SEEN-BY: 633/280 712/848   
   PATH: 292/854 229/426