First 747-8 to be scrapped?

On Friday 15 April 2022, long time Basle resident Boeing 747-8 BBJ N458BJ (msn 40065/line 1446) was ferried from Basle to Marana (AZ).

The airframe was built in 2012, and made its first flight on 30 May of that same year. The aircraft was registered as N458BJ on behalf of thrust owner Bank of Utah, and was intended for Saudi Crown Prince Sultan Abdul Aziz, but he died in October 2011.

The aircraft was planned for interior outfitting at Jet Aviation in Basle, Switzerland, but this contract was cancelled early 2012. Nonetheless the aircraft was ferried to Basle for interior modifications on 29 December 2012. Actually since then, not much had happened to the airframe. The aircraft was offered for sale with, according to pictures on the webpage of the sales agent, an empty cabin and just 29 flight hours.

After almost ten years of storage it was flown back to the US. At Marana the aircraft will – according to rumours - be parted out, although that is not confirmed. If it will be parted out, it will be the first 747-8 airframe to be scrapped.

The nine 747-8 BBJs that are still flying around can be found with the Kuwait Government, Egyptian Government (they have taken over an ex Lufthansa 747-8), Qatar Amiri Flight (2), Qatar Executive, Brunei Government, Oman Government, Turkish Government, and the Moroccan Government.

Besides ten 747-8 BBJs Boeing has built 36 passenger 747-8I and 107 cargo 747-8F (including the last four 747s, currently being built for Atlas Air which will be delivered later this year).

Two 747-8I were originally built for Transaero Airlines, but were sold to the US Government to be converted to a VC-25B, a.k.a. Air Force One, when Donald Trump was still POTUS. They will replace the two current Air Force One's, the VC-25A.

Photo: Stefan Gschwind (Planespotters.net)