Industry Cathay Pacific donates world’s first Boeing 777 to aviation museum

It was a historical moment for the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, when the first Boeing 777 took off for its first flight on 12 June, 1994. The large twin-engine wide-body aircraft was Boeing’s first fly-by-wire airliner and has received more orders than any other wide-body airliner.

Now, twenty-four years after the first flight, Boeing and Cathay Pacific announced to donate the aircraft to Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona.

The aircraft, that joined Cathay Pacific’s fleet in 2000, was retired after in May after 18 years of service. During its time with Cathay Pacific, B-HNL operated 20,519 flights, recording 49,687 hours of flying time.

The iconic 777-200 airplane with the line number WA001 will fly from Cathay Pacific’s home airport in Hong Kong to Tucson, Arizona on 18 September. The jet will be displayed permanently at the museum alongside more than 350 other historic aircraft.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg said: “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. 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,” he added.

Today, Cathay Pacific is one of the largest Tripple-Seven operators in the world: Beside four remaining B777-200, the Hong-Kong-based carrier operates 13 B777-300 and 53 B777-300ER. Until today, Boeing has delivered over 1.500 Tripple-Seven to customers all over the world. For the next generation version of the long-haul jet, the Boeing 777X, Boeing has already received over 300 orders. A first flight is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019. Cathay Pacific has already ordered 21 of the new Boeing 777.