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107-575: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport ( IATA : CTU , ICAO : ZUUU ; traditionally as Chengdu Airport ) is one of two international airports serving Chengdu , the capital of Sichuan province in Southwestern China . Built in 1938 and expanded for eight times, it is one of the oldest airports in China. The airport became the third-busiest airport in the world in 2020. Located about 16 kilometers (10 mi) southwest of downtown Chengdu to

214-837: A 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) range increase, more efficient engines, and a 10 percent reduction in operating cost. In September 1984, Boeing announced development of the newest 747 derivative, the "Advanced Series 300", at the Farnborough Airshow . On October 22, 1985, the type was officially launched when Northwest Airlines became the first 747-400 customer, with an order for 10 aircraft. Cathay Pacific , KLM , Lufthansa , Singapore Airlines , and British Airways also announced orders several months later, followed by United Airlines , Air France , Malaysia Airlines and Japan Airlines . Seven early customers, namely British Airways, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Lufthansa, Northwest, Qantas and Singapore Airlines, formed

321-508: A consultative group to advise Boeing on the 747-400's design process. While the aircraft was planned as a new-technology upgrade, Boeing originally proposed minimal design changes in order to reduce development cost and retain commonality with existing models. The airline consultative group sought more advanced changes, including a two-crew glass cockpit . As a result of airline input, the 747-400's new digital cockpit design featured cathode-ray tube (CRT) display technologies first employed on

428-534: A large, long-range wide-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes , an advanced variant of the initial Boeing 747 . The "Advanced Series 300" was announced at the September 1984 Farnborough Airshow , targeting a 10% cost reduction with more efficient engines and 1,000 nautical miles [nmi] (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) of additional range. Northwest Airlines became the first customer with an order for 10 aircraft on October 22, 1985. The first 747-400

535-456: A maximum takeoff weight of 910,000 pounds (412,769 kg) and a maximum payload of 248,600 pounds (112,760 kg). It offers cargo airlines the choice of either adding 22,000 pounds (10,000 kg) more payload than other 747-400 freighter variants, or adding 525 nautical miles (972 km; 604 mi) to the maximum range. The -400ERF has a range of 5,700 miles (9,200 km) with maximum payload, about 326 miles (525 km) farther than

642-671: A military-owned airport in 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War / World War II . At the time, its runway was only large enough for small biplanes. It was also where the Republic of China Air Force Polikarpov I-15 fighters of the 5th Pursuit Group were based for aerial defense of the Chengdu area against Imperial Japanese bomber raids; this following the Chinese retreat from Wuhan to Chungking (now Chongqing) as

749-567: A new airport is built, replacing the old one, leaving the city's new "major" airport (or the only remaining airport) code to no longer correspond with the city's name. The original airport in Nashville, Tennessee, was built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration and called Berry Field with the designation, BNA. A new facility known as Nashville International Airport was built in 1987 but still uses BNA. This

856-815: A result of battling against the most advanced fighter aircraft of the time; the Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" (Reisen) fighter, in defense of Chengdu on 14 March 1941. When the United States was shocked into World War II with the Pearl Harbor attack , the airport became known as " Shwangliu Airfield " as it was later used by the United States Army Air Forces Fourteenth Air Force as part of the China Defensive Campaign (1942–1945). It

963-444: A result of new aluminum alloys. The horizontal tail was also redesigned to fit a 3,300 US gallons (12,000 L) fuel tank, resulting in a 350 nautical miles (650 km; 400 mi) range increase, and the rudder travel was increased to 30 degrees. The landing gear was redesigned with larger wheels and carbon brakes. Internal changes further included a restyled cabin with new materials and updated fittings. New engines offered on

1070-475: A rudder hardover. N661US was later sold to Delta Airlines when Northwest merged with it. N661US later became preserved at the Delta Flight Museum. This was the twentieth anniversary of the 747-100's first flight. On May 31, 1989, Singapore Airlines operated the first international service using a 747-400, on a flight from Singapore to London. In May 1989, one week before the initial delivery to

1177-711: A sharp decline in passenger traffic. For instance, KLM retired its Boeing 747-400 Combi and Passenger fleets in March 2020. Qantas announced the retirement of its 747-400 and 747-400ER fleet by the end of 2020, with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner taking its place. China Airlines also announced that they will be retiring their remaining four passenger Boeing 747-400s by the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (which were delivered between 2004 and 2005, operating on flights within Asia) with

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1284-520: A short-range variant of the aircraft designed for Japanese intra-island services, first flew on March 18, 1991, and entered service with Japan Airlines on October 22, 1991. A cargo variant, the 747-400F, was first delivered in May 1993 to Cargolux . By the end of the 1990s, Boeing was producing four versions of the 747-400. The extended range freighter (ERF) entered service in October 2002. The next month,

1391-514: A world record for the heaviest airliner takeoff on June 27, 1988, on a flight to simulate heavy-weight stalls. The aircraft had a takeoff weight of 892,450 pounds (404,810 kg), and in order to satisfy Fédération Aéronautique Internationale regulations, climbed to a height of 6,562 feet (2,000 m). On February 9, 2020, a British Airways Boeing 747-400 broke the New York–London subsonic airliner speed record in 4 hours 56 minutes, pushed by

1498-509: Is GSN and its IATA code is SPN, and some coincide with IATA codes of non-U.S. airports. Canada's unusual codes—which bear little to no similarity with any conventional abbreviation to the city's name—such as YUL in Montréal , and YYZ in Toronto , originated from the two-letter codes used to identify weather reporting stations in the 1930s. The letters preceding the two-letter code follow

1605-475: Is another passenger-to-freighter conversion, carried out by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The first 747-400BDSF was redelivered to Air China Cargo in August 2006. Several Boeing 747-400M "combi" aircraft operated by EVA Air were also converted to pure cargo aircraft by IAI. Neither the 747-400BCF or the 747-400BDSF has a nose cargo door; freight can only be loaded through the side cargo door as opposed to

1712-554: Is available. However, many railway administrations have their own list of codes for their stations, such as the list of Amtrak station codes . Airport codes arose out of the convenience that the practice brought pilots for location identification in the 1930s. Initially, pilots in the United States used the two-letter code from the National Weather Service (NWS) for identifying cities. This system became unmanageable for cities and towns without an NWS identifier, and

1819-523: Is different from the name in English, yet the airport code represents only the English name. Examples include: Due to scarcity of codes, some airports are given codes with letters not found in their names: The use of 'X' as a filler letter is a practice to create three-letter identifiers when more straightforward options were unavailable: Some airports in the United States retained their NWS ( National Weather Service ) codes and simply appended an X at

1926-671: Is governed by IATA Resolution 763, and it is administered by the IATA's headquarters in Montreal , Canada. The codes are published semi-annually in the IATA Airline Coding Directory. IATA provides codes for airport handling entities, and for certain railway stations. Alphabetical lists of airports sorted by IATA code are available. A list of railway station codes , shared in agreements between airlines and rail lines such as Amtrak , SNCF , and Deutsche Bahn ,

2033-513: Is in conjunction to rules aimed to avoid confusion that seem to apply in the United States, which state that "the first and second letters or second and third letters of an identifier may not be duplicated with less than 200 nautical miles separation." Thus, Washington, D.C. area's three airports all have radically different codes: IAD for Washington–Dulles , DCA for Washington–Reagan (District of Columbia Airport), and BWI for Baltimore (Baltimore–Washington International, formerly BAL). Since HOU

2140-482: Is lighter than preceding models, but when fitted out it is heavier and stronger than previous models. The landing gear uses the same configuration as the previous 747s, but with carbon brakes replacing the previous steel ones, and overall weight savings of 1,800 pounds (820 kg). The 747-400's glass cockpit features CRT displays which show flight instrumentation along with engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) diagnostics. The flight engineer station on

2247-543: Is not followed outside the United States: In addition, since three letter codes starting with Q are widely used in radio communication, cities whose name begins with "Q" also had to find alternate codes, as in the case of: IATA codes should not be confused with the FAA identifiers of U.S. airports. Most FAA identifiers agree with the corresponding IATA codes, but some do not, such as Saipan , whose FAA identifier

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2354-756: Is planned for most international and cargo routes to be moved away from Shuangliu Airport, which is to mainly operate domestic flights going forward. China Southwest Airlines once had its headquarters on the airport property. It costs about RMB 60 Yuan from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to the city centre of Chengdu. Passengers can take the CRH train at Shuangliu Airport railway station to Chengdu South railway station and Chengdu East railway station ; single tickets are about ¥11 (US$ 1.5). The CRH trains at Shuangliu Airport railway station are also bound for Mianyang, Deyang, Meishan Dong (East), Leshan railway and Emeishan railway stations. Two stations on Line 10 of

2461-408: Is the freight version of the -400ER, launched on April 30, 2001. The 747-400ERF is similar to the 747-400F, except for increased gross weight capability which allows it to carry more payload. Unlike the 747-400ER, no customers ordered the optional body (cargo compartment) fuel tanks which reflects the desire to carry more cargo, not fuel, as the benefit of the improved payload rating. The 747-400ERF has

2568-416: Is used for William P. Hobby Airport , the new Houston–Intercontinental became IAH. The code BKK was originally assigned to Bangkok–Don Mueang and was later transferred to Suvarnabhumi Airport , while the former adopted DMK. The code ISK was originally assigned to Gandhinagar Airport (Nashik's old airport) and later on transferred to Ozar Airport (Nashik's current airport). Shanghai–Hongqiao retained

2675-494: The Spirit of Mojave air launcher. The Dreamlifter is an outsize cargo conversion designed to move Dreamliner components. With 694 delivered over the course of 20 years from 1989 to 2009, it was the best-selling 747 variant. Its closest competitors were the smaller McDonnell Douglas MD-11 trijet and Airbus A340 quadjet. It has been superseded by the stretched and improved Boeing 747-8 , introduced in October 2011. Beginning

2782-561: The Airbus A380 . On 9 June 2014, United Airlines began operating a nonstop service from San Francisco to Chengdu, connecting central China to the United States non-stop for the first time. Service to the US has since expanded, as Hainan Airlines now offers nonstop service from Chengdu to Los Angeles and began nonstop service to New York–JFK in October 2017. With the opening of Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on 27 June 2021, it

2889-451: The Boeing 777 , Boeing 787 Dreamliner , and Airbus A350 XWB have entered service since the late 1990s onward, and these have taken over routes previously flown by 747-400s, as reducing capacity improved load factors. The change in emphasis from hub and spoke operations to point-to-point flights has also reduced the need for jumbo jets (very large aircraft (VLA) with more than 400 seats) like

2996-493: The COVID-19 pandemic , although, due to a global shortage in air cargo capacity, three KLM 747-400Ms were temporarily reactivated after just a week to operate cargo-only flights to Asia. As of 2024, Air Atlanta Icelandic , an Icelandic cargo and charter passenger airline, operates one Boeing 747-400M. The 747-400D (Domestic) is a high-density seating model developed for short-haul, high-volume domestic Japanese flights, serving

3103-571: The Canadian transcontinental railroads were built, each station was assigned its own two-letter Morse code : When the Canadian government established airports, it used the existing railway codes for them as well. If the airport had a weather station, authorities added a "Y" to the front of the code, meaning "Yes" to indicate it had a weather station or some other letter to indicate it did not. When international codes were created in cooperation with

3210-658: The Chengdu Metro links Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport with Taipingyuan station . The stations are Terminal 1 of Shuangliu International Airport station and Terminal 2 of Shuangliu International Airport station which serves Terminals 1 and 2 respectively. It was opened on 6 September 2017. [REDACTED] Media related to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency IATA airport code The assignment of these codes

3317-467: The Qantas 747-400 VH-OJA flew non-stop from London Heathrow to Sydney , a distance of 18,001 km (11,185 mi), in 20 hours and 9 minutes to set a commercial aircraft world distance record. As of 2014 , this is the fastest heavyweight flight between London and Sydney. This was a delivery flight with no commercial passengers or freight on board. During testing, the first 747-400 built also set

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3424-480: The potable water system tanks and pumps, because the body fuel tanks prevent access to the standard locations. The first 747-400ER was used as a test flight airplane and painted in Boeing colors, with registration N747ER. Qantas received the first delivery of a 747-400ER registration VH-OEF on October 31, 2002, although it was the second airplane built. The flight test airplane was later refurbished, repainted in standard QANTAS livery, and registered as VH-OEE. Qantas

3531-525: The 2010s. By that time many 747-400s were also more than 20 years old so airlines have accelerated their retirement. The 747, alongside the smaller Airbus A340 and MD-11 , each have more than two engines making them relatively expensive to operate, although their main appeal during the early 1990s was their long range as well as high capacity, before the development of wide-body twin-engine aircraft that could achieve similar range and payload while also providing better fuel economy. Such medium/large twinjets like

3638-443: The 747 "Classics") exceeded 700, but new orders slowed precipitously. The introduction of the 747-300 did little to stem the decline, and itself faced potential competition from more modern designs. As a result, Boeing began considering a more significant upgrade for its largest passenger jet. By early 1984, company officials had identified five development objectives for the latest 747 upgrade: new technologies, an enhanced interior,

3745-613: The 747 and Airbus A380 . Airlines such as British Airways and Qantas that plan to maintain the same capacity on routes currently served by 747-400s did not order the updated 747-8 but instead opted for the Airbus A380 . For example, Delta Air Lines reduced the number of flights it operated from the United States to Narita International Airport that were intended to transfer passengers to other destinations in Asia, switching to twin-engine widebody aircraft operating from an expanded hub at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport . Total capacity

3852-685: The 747-400 included the Pratt & Whitney PW4056 , the General Electric CF6-80C2B1F , and the Rolls-Royce RB211-524G/H . The engines offered lower fuel consumption and greater thrust, along with a full-authority digital engine control ( FADEC ) which adjusted engine performance for improved efficiency compared with the Classic 747s. A new auxiliary power unit (APU) manufactured by Pratt & Whitney Canada

3959-636: The 747-400 passenger version officially ceased on March 15, 2007. The last four -400s on order were cancelled by Philippine Airlines (which switched to the 777-300ER ). The last to order the -400 was China Airlines in November 2002, with the last passenger 747-400 constructed in 2005 and delivered in April of that year. It was the 1358th 747 (MSN33737/B-18215). The last 747-400 was a -400ERF delivered on December 22, 2009, to Kalitta Air. The 747-400's leasing, resale and salvage value has dropped steeply since

4066-411: The 747-400 program had amassed more than 100 orders. The 747-400 flew for the first time on April 29, 1988, under the command of test pilot James Loesch and co-pilot Kenneth Higgins. The first flight was six weeks behind schedule, owing to subcontractor delays in supplying components, and extra troubleshooting on the aircraft's electronics systems. The maiden flight took off from Paine Field , site of

4173-546: The 747-400's first European customer, KLM, the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) shocked Boeing by refusing to grant regulatory certification for the aircraft, citing the upper deck cabin floor's resistance to collapse in the event of a sudden decompression . While the manufacturer asserted that the 747-400's cabin floor was no different from the already-certified and in-service 747-300, the JAA maintained that

4280-532: The 747-400M Combi) allows loading of dimensionally taller cargo modules. A lower deck ("belly") side door allows loading of unit load devices (ULD) up to 163 cm in height. Boeing delivered 126 Boeing 747-400F aircraft with no unfilled orders as of November 2009 . The last -400F was delivered to Nippon Cargo Airlines on August 2, 2008. The 747-400M (a passenger/freight or "Combi" variant originally designated as 747-400BC) first flew on June 30, 1989, and entered service with KLM on September 12, 1989. Based on

4387-458: The 747-400SF (Special Freighter), is a conversion program for standard passenger 747-400 aircraft. The project was launched in 2004 with conversions by approved contractors such as HAECO , KAL Aerospace and SIA Engineering Company . The first Boeing 747-400BCF was redelivered to Cathay Pacific Cargo and entered service on December 20, 2005. Cathay retired the 747-400BCF in 2017 after 11 years of service. The 747-400BDSF (BeDek Special Freighter)

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4494-452: The 757 and 767. The autopilot was also changed to that of the 757 and 767; on the 747-400 a software update was added to allow an 'altitude intervention' mode. The 747-400's wingspan was stretched by 17 feet (5.2 m) over the Classic 747 through wingtip extensions. For reduced aerodynamic drag , the wings were fitted with 6 feet (1.8 metres)-tall winglets . Despite the added length, the wings were 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) lighter as

4601-553: The Advanced Cabin Entertainment/Service System (ACESS), debuted on the 747-400, which integrates 18-channel audio capability, four-passenger intercom announcement zones, inter-cabin telephones, and passenger lighting into a central system. An eight-bunk overhead crew rest is installed above the aft cabin, while a second crew rest area is located on the upper deck behind the cockpit for flight crew use. The last few 747-400s delivered feature

4708-528: The Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 777-300ER taking over all high-volume routes and all Asian International routes. However, China Airlines didn't retire its last passenger Boeing 747-400 until February 2021. British Airways retired its remaining 31 Boeing 747-400s 4 years ahead of the original February 2024 deadline. Virgin Atlantic also retired their remaining leisure fleet 747-400s in May 2020 citing

4815-597: The Boeing 747, retiring the last of the 747-400 fleet it inherited from Northwest Airlines in December 2017. Prior to COVID-19, British Airways , the largest passenger 747-400 operator then, announced that they would've phased out their 747-400 fleet in February 2024, replacing it with the Airbus A350-1000. Lufthansa was to retire their 747-400 fleet in 2025 as they were to be replaced by the Boeing 777x and

4922-475: The Boeing 747-400. LCDs later became standard on the 747-400 as well, and could be retrofitted to earlier aircraft. The three standby flight displays found on the 747-400 were also replaced by a single combined LCD, the integrated standby flight display (ISFD), which also became standard on the 747-400 in late 2003. In the 2000s, as part of an effort to promote sustainable and alternative fuel development, as well as lower emissions, several 747-400 operators studied

5029-454: The Boeing 747-8i. KLM planned to retire their 747-400 Combi and Passenger fleet in 2020 as they were being replaced by the Boeing 777-300ER, the Boeing 787-10, and the Airbus A350-900. However, KLM announced it plans to retire its last Boeing 747-400 by January 1, 2021, instead of 2020 due to delivery delays for the new wide-body twin jets. The global COVID-19 pandemic hastened the retirement of many remaining passenger Boeing 747-400s due to

5136-494: The Boeing Signature Interior, derived from the Boeing 777. The original variant of the redesigned 747, the 747-400 debuted an increased wingspan, winglets , revised engines, and a glass cockpit which removed the need for a flight engineer. The type also featured the stretched upper deck (SUD) introduced with the 747-300. The passenger model formed the bulk of 747-400s sold, and 442 were built. In 1989,

5243-629: The COVID-19 pandemic - the fleet was due to retire in 2021. As of September, 2021, there were just 42 passenger 747-400 in operation (10 actively flying, 32 in storage) across 10 carriers worldwide. Lufthansa and Air China had plans to resume flying some of their stored aircraft by October, 2021. On 29 April 2022, Air India retired its remaining 747-400 planes in its fleet, after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation deregistered them. In March 2024, Asiana Airlines announced to retire their sole remaining 747-400, leaving Air China as

5350-561: The Center Wing Tank (CWT) in flight, along with fuel transfer from the Horizontal Stabiliser Tank (HST). The tank was removable using tooling that interfaced with the cargo loading system. Similar technology had been used by Marshall in the development of body fuel tanks for the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing P-8A Poseidon . Other changes to the 747-400ER included the relocation of oxygen system components and

5457-525: The Everett factory, and landed at Boeing Field , south of Seattle, after an uneventful 2 hours and 26 minutes. The 747-400's flight test program utilized the first four aircraft built, one more than the minimum number necessary to certify the aircraft's three engine options. One test aircraft each was fitted with the CF6-80C2B1F and RB211-524G/H engines, while the other two featured PW4056 engines, with

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5564-524: The Shuangguisi Airport was put under civil aviation, which was then formally listed as a civil aviation airport and renamed Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. In 1957, the flights of Chengdu civil aviation were shifted to Shuangliu Airport from Guanghan Airport . The flight courses from Chengdu were thus opened to various cities within China including Beijing, Taiyuan , Xi'an , Chongqing , Kunming , Guiyang , and Nanchong . A large-scale expansion

5671-454: The U.S. For example, several airports in Alaska have scheduled commercial service, such as Stebbins and Nanwalek , which use FAA codes instead of ICAO codes. Thus, neither system completely includes all airports with scheduled service. Some airports are identified in colloquial speech by their IATA code. Examples include LAX and JFK . Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is

5778-481: The United States, because "Y" was seldom used in the United States, Canada simply used the weather station codes for its airports, changing the "Y" to a "Z" if it conflicted with an airport code already in use. The result is that most major Canadian airport codes start with "Y" followed by two letters in the city's name (for example, YOW for O tta w a , YWG for W innipe g , YYC for C algar y , or YVR for V ancouve r ), whereas other Canadian airports append

5885-450: The advanced flight deck, 747-400 production fell behind schedule. The company managed to resolve early production issues by mid-1989, with the first example airframes of all three engine variants delivered within four months of each other, and overall delays not exceeding several weeks. The first 747-400 ( N661US ) was delivered to launch customer Northwest Airlines . This jet became known for an incident on Northwest Flight 85 caused by

5992-415: The aircraft's value before the incident at about $ 8 million. He noted that this was not the same as its insured value. As discussed in the section on 747-400 converted freighters, there is no longer a viable economic model for converting retired passenger 747-400 aircraft into dedicated freighters, so most retired passenger aircraft will likely be scrapped. Several airlines have retired their 747-400s from

6099-440: The airport itself instead of the city it serves, while another code is reserved which refers to the city itself which can be used to search for flights to any of its airports. For instance: Or using a code for the city in one of the major airports and then assigning another code to another airport: When different cities with the same name each have an airport, they need to be assigned different codes. Examples include: Sometimes,

6206-418: The airport's former name, such as Orlando International Airport 's MCO (for Mc C o y Air Force Base), or Chicago's O'Hare International Airport , which is coded ORD for its original name: Or char d Field. In rare cases, the code comes from the airport's unofficial name, such as Kahului Airport 's OGG (for local aviation pioneer Jimmy H ogg ). In large metropolitan areas, airport codes are often named after

6313-488: The cabin and limiting passenger numbers and cargo. The 747-400ER featured the Boeing Signature Interior , which was later made available on the 747-400 (either as a retrofit on existing 747-400s or factory installation on new frames). The 747-400ER also introduced some flight deck enhancements, including liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), which replaced the six cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays found on

6420-502: The code SHA, while the newer Shanghai–Pudong adopted PVG. The opposite was true for Berlin : the airport Berlin–Tegel used the code TXL, while its smaller counterpart Berlin–Schönefeld used SXF; the Berlin Brandenburg Airport has the airport code BER, which is also part of its branding. The airports of Hamburg (HAM) and Hannover (HAJ) are less than 100 nautical miles (190 km) apart and therefore share

6527-491: The cost of replacing a 747-400 is high (an airline must purchase or lease another wide-body), some operators choose to fly the 747-400 to the conclusion of its accepted useful life and then scrap it. The current parts resale value for this aircraft has been reduced to its engines. When a 26-year-old 747-400 owned by Delta flew through a violent hailstorm, the company indicated it was likely the aircraft would be scrapped. George Dimitroff, head of valuations for FlightGlobal, estimated

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6634-886: The end. Examples include: A lot of minor airfields without scheduled passenger traffic have ICAO codes but not IATA codes, since the four letter codes allow more number of codes, and IATA codes are mainly used for passenger services such as tickets, and ICAO codes by pilots. In the US, such airfields use FAA codes instead of ICAO. There are airports with scheduled service for which there are ICAO codes but not IATA codes, such as Nkhotakota Airport/Tangole Airport in Malawi or Chōfu Airport in Tokyo, Japan. There are also several minor airports in Russia (e.g., Omsukchan Airport ) which lack IATA codes and instead use internal Russian codes for booking. Flights to these airports cannot be booked through

6741-462: The extended range (ER) passenger version entered service with Qantas , the only airline ever to order the passenger version of the 747-400ER. Qantas initially used the 747-400ER for the Melbourne to Los Angeles and Dallas to Sydney route allowing the completion of the flight with full passenger load and cargo. Prior to the 747-400ER, Qantas would complete such flights by blocking out 'E' zone of

6848-411: The final assembly process at the Everett factory. The first aircraft, equipped with PW4056 engines, was completed over the winter months of late 1987. On January 26, 1988, the first 747-400 rolled out at the Everett factory, while the first 737-400 rolled out at Boeing's Renton factory on the same day, marking the first double jetliner rollout in the manufacturer's history. By the time of the rollout,

6955-427: The first 20 aircraft built. A primary reason for the delays was the unprecedented complexity of interior configurations offered to airlines, which ranged from lavatory and galley locations to the color shades of cabin warning labels . Coupled with new, relatively inexperienced workers, a lack of veteran technicians, interior configurations needing costly re-work, and teething problems with electronics integration on

7062-557: The first three letters of the city in which it is located, for instance: The code may also be a combination of the letters in its name, such as: Sometimes the airport code reflects pronunciation, rather than spelling, namely: For many reasons, some airport codes do not fit the normal scheme described above. Some airports, for example, cross several municipalities or regions, and therefore, use codes derived from some of their letters, resulting in: Other airports—particularly those serving cities with multiple airports—have codes derived from

7169-478: The following format: Most large airports in Canada have codes that begin with the letter "Y", although not all "Y" codes are Canadian (for example, YUM for Yuma, Arizona , and YNT for Yantai , China), and not all Canadian airports start with the letter "Y" (for example, ZBF for Bathurst, New Brunswick ). Many Canadian airports have a code that starts with W, X or Z, but none of these are major airports. When

7276-597: The form of " YYZ ", a song by the rock band Rush , which utilizes the Morse code signal as a musical motif. Some airports have started using their IATA codes as brand names , such as Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Numerous New Zealand airports use codes that contain the letter Z, to distinguish them from similar airport names in other countries. Examples include HLZ for Hamilton , ZQN for Queenstown , and WSZ for Westport . Predominantly, airport codes are named after

7383-470: The forward cargo hold, but Qantas only ordered the single body tank configuration, and no airplanes were delivered with two body fuel tanks. Manufactured by Marshall Aerospace , the tanks utilized metal to metal honeycomb-bonded technology to achieve a high fuel volume-to-dry weight ratio. The tanks featured a double wall and an integrated venting system, and achieved fuel control via a modified Fuel System Management Card (FSMC) which optimized fuel transfer into

7490-436: The fourth aircraft serving as a backup. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification was received on January 9, 1989, with Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, May 18, 1989, with General Electric CF6 -80C2s and June 8, 1989, with Rolls-Royce RB211 -524Gs. As the flight test program proceeded, Boeing encountered problems in the 747-400's production process, leading it to disclose delivery delays of up to one month for

7597-487: The international air booking systems or have international luggage transferred there, and thus, they are booked instead through the airline or a domestic booking system. Several heliports in Greenland have 3-letter codes used internally which might be IATA codes for airports in faraway countries. There are several airports with scheduled service that have not been assigned ICAO codes that do have IATA codes, especially in

7704-400: The last scheduled passenger operator in Asia. The 747-400's airframe features extended and lighter wings than the previous 747s, capped by winglets. The winglets result in a 3 percent increase in long-range cruise, improved takeoff performance, and higher cruise altitudes. The extended wingspan also gains an additional leading edge flap section. When unfurnished, the basic 747-400 fuselage

7811-412: The late 2010s, 747-400 passenger aircraft began being phased out by airlines in favor of long-range, wide-body twinjet aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 . Following its introduction in 1969, the Boeing 747 became a major success with airlines and the flying public. As the world's first wide-body jetliner, the 747 had revolutionized air travel, and cemented its manufacturer's dominance in

7918-401: The long-range version if needed. The 747-400D can be distinguished from the otherwise similar-looking 747-300 by the extra windows on the upper deck. These allow for extra seating at the rear of the upper deck, where a galley would normally be situated on longer flights. In total, 19 of the type were built, with the last example delivered to All Nippon Airways on February 11, 1996. This variant

8025-456: The manufacturer develop a structural retrofit for the aircraft within two years. The last-minute deal allowed KLM and Lufthansa to take delivery of their 747-400s without further delays. After the first 747-400 deliveries, Boeing began production on more variants of the aircraft. The first 747-400 Combi, able to carry both passengers and freight, was rolled out in June 1989. The 747-400 Domestic,

8132-612: The name of the airport itself, for instance: This is also true with some cities with a single airport (even if there is more than one airport in the metropolitan area of said city), such as BDL for Hartford, Connecticut 's B ra dl ey International Airport or Baltimore's BWI, for B altimore/ W ashington I nternational Airport ; however, the latter also serves Washington, D.C. , alongside Dulles International Airport (IAD, for I nternational A irport D ulles) and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA, for D istrict of C olumbia A irport). The code also sometimes comes from

8239-474: The need for a flight engineer . It typically accommodates 416 passengers in a three- class layout over a 7,285 nmi (13,492 km; 8,383 mi) range with its 875,000-pound (397 t) maximum takeoff weight (MTOW). The first -400M combi was rolled out in June 1989. The -400D Domestic for the Japanese market, without winglets, entered service on October 22, 1991. The -400F cargo variant, without

8346-785: The new provisional capital in aftermath of the Battle of Wuhan against the Imperial Japanese onslaught. Civilian targets were indiscriminately bombed, and ace fighter pilot of the Chinese Air Force Major Wong Sun-shui , Captain Cen Zeliu and Lieutenant Lin Heng (younger brother of renowned architect and poet Lin Huiyin ) flying in their I-15 fighter planes were all killed over Shuangliu air base as

8453-448: The newer model would have a service life into 2020 and beyond and was thus subject to a newer, more stringent standard which had been updated to reflect the risk of explosive devices . In the days leading up to the first delivery to KLM, negotiations between Boeing, the FAA, and the JAA resulted in a compromise: a temporary operating certificate would be issued for the 747-400, provided that

8560-461: The newly built Chengdu Metro line 10 which has stations in both terminals. KLM launched the first intercontinental air route from Chengdu, to Amsterdam , on 28 May 2006. The construction of its second runway started from late 2008, and service commenced in December 2009. The completed new runway, 3,600 metres (11,811 ft) in length and 60 metres (197 ft) in width, upgraded the previous flight area rating from 4E to 4F, capable of handling

8667-458: The newly produced freight variants. The demand for converted 747-400 freighters declined in the early 2010s, due to the availability of belly cargo capacity on more efficient passenger wide-body twinjets, and new orders for Boeing 747-8F and 777F freighters. Approximately 79 747-400 aircraft were converted before the programs were terminated; 50 of these aircraft were converted by the BCF program, with

8774-548: The north of Shuangliu , Chengdu Shuangliu Airport is an important aviation hub for Western China . Chengdu Shuangliu Airport is one of the two core hubs for Air China , the other being Beijing Capital International Airport . The airport is also the principal hub and headquarters for Sichuan Airlines and Chengdu Airlines . China Eastern Airlines , China Southern Airlines , Shenzhen Airlines , Lucky Air , and Tibet Airlines also have bases at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. The airport, formerly named Shuangguisi Airport , opened as

8881-416: The one they are located in: Other airport codes are of obscure origin, and each has its own peculiarities: In Asia, codes that do not correspond with their city's names include Niigata 's KIJ , Nanchang 's KHN and Pyongyang 's FNJ . EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg , which serves three countries, has three airport codes: BSL, MLH, EAP. Some cities have a name in their respective language which

8988-582: The passenger -400 by its shorter upper-deck hump and lack of windows along the main deck. The model's first flight was on May 4, 1993, and entered service with Cargolux on November 17, 1993. Other major customers included Atlas Air , China Airlines , Korean Air , Nippon Cargo Airlines and Singapore Airlines . The 747-400F has a main deck nose door and a mechanized cargo handling system. The nose door swings up so that pallets or containers up to 40 ft (12 m) can be loaded straight in on motor-driven rollers. An optional main deck side cargo door (like

9095-483: The passenger aircraft market. In 1980, Boeing announced the 747-300, its latest 747 variant featuring greater passenger capacity. This was made possible by making a stretched upper deck (SUD), previously an option on the 747-200, a standard feature. The SUD was almost twice as long as the original 747 upper deck. Besides increased capacity, the 747-300 did not offer any increase in range, nor did it include improvements in flight deck technology or construction materials. At

9202-460: The powerful Jetstream linked to Storm Ciara . The 747-400F (Freighter) is an all freight version of the 747-400. While using the updated systems and wing design of the passenger versions, it features the original short upper deck found on the classic 747s to reduce weight. The 747-400F has a maximum takeoff weight of 875,000 pounds (397,000 kg) and a maximum payload of 274,100 pounds (124,000 kg). The -400F can be easily distinguished from

9309-633: The previous 747s is no longer installed, and the new displays and simplified layout results in a two-thirds reduction of switches, lights, and gauges versus the Classic 747. Other new systems include an advanced Honeywell flight management computer (FMC) which assists pilots in calculating optimal altitudes and routes along with a Rockwell-Collins central maintenance computer (CMC) which automates troubleshooting tasks. The redesigned 747-400 interior features new cabin sidewalls, heat-resistant phenolic glass and carbon composite paneling, and larger storage bins. An enhanced in-flight entertainment framework, called

9416-506: The same first and middle letters, indicating that this rule might be followed only in Germany. Many cities retain historical names in their airport codes, even after having undergone an official name/spelling/transliteration change: Some airport codes are based on previous names associated with a present airport, often with a military heritage. These include: Some airports are named for an administrative division or nearby city, rather than

9523-408: The same role as the prior Boeing 747SR domestic model. This model is capable of seating a maximum of 568 passengers in a two-class configuration or 660 passengers in a single-class configuration. The -400D lacks the wingtip extensions and winglets included on other variants. Winglets would provide minimal benefits on short-haul routes while adding extra weight and cost. The -400D may be converted to

9630-407: The same time, 747s were becoming more costly to operate due to a number of factors, notably conventional flight control systems, three-person flight crews, and fuel costs. In 1982, Boeing introduced a two-crew glass cockpit, new engines, and advanced materials on its 757 and 767 twinjets. At the same time, combined sales of the 747-100, −200, −300, and 747SP models (collectively referred to as

9737-480: The standard 747-400 freighter, and has a strengthened fuselage, landing gear, and parts of its wing, along with new, larger tires. The first -400ERF was delivered to Air France (via ILFC ) on October 17, 2002. Boeing has delivered 40 Boeing 747-400ERFs with no outstanding orders. The new 747-8 Freighter has more payload capacity, but less range than the 747-400ERF when both are at maximum takeoff weight . The 747-400BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), formerly known as

9844-500: The station code of Malton, Mississauga , where it is located). YUL is used for Montréal–Trudeau (UL was the ID code for the beacon in the city of Kirkland , now the location of Montréal–Trudeau). While these codes make it difficult for the public to associate them with a particular Canadian city, some codes have become popular in usage despite their cryptic nature, particularly at the largest airports. Toronto's code has entered pop culture in

9951-423: The stretched upper deck, was first delivered in May 1993. With an increased MTOW of 910,000 lb (410 t), the extended range version entered service in October 2002 as the -400ERF freighter and the -400ER passenger version the following month. Several 747-400 aircraft have undergone freighter conversion or other modifications to serve as transports of heads of state , YAL-1 laser testbed, engine testbed or

10058-430: The successful Combi versions of the Classic 747s, the 747-400M has a large cargo door fitted to the rear of the fuselage for freight loading to the aft main deck cargo hold. A locked partition separates the cargo area from the forward passenger cabin, and the -400M also features additional fire protection, a strengthened main deck floor, a roller-conveyor system, and passenger-to-cargo conversion equipment. The last 747-400M

10165-419: The trans-pacific market. Remaining operators in 2014 included EVA Air, Qantas, Virgin Atlantic , British Airways and United Airlines. United's deployment of them also reflected a change in emphasis from Asian hubs to domestic hubs. On January 11, 2017, United announced it would begin phasing out its 747-400s and made its last 747 flight on November 7 that year. Delta Airlines was the last US airline to operate

10272-515: The two-letter code of the radio beacons that were the closest to the actual airport, such as YQX in Gander or YXS in Prince George . Four of the ten provincial capital airports in Canada have ended up with codes beginning with YY, including: Canada's largest airport is YYZ for Toronto Pearson (as YTZ was already allocated to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , the airport was given

10379-488: The use of oil extracted from the jatropha plant. Air New Zealand carried out the first commercial flight using jatropha oil for fuel; the airline's 747-400 had one engine burning a mix of 50% jatropha oil and 50% jet fuel for two hours during the flight while engineers collected data. Continental Airlines tested jatropha oil in one of its airliners on January 7, 2009. Jatropha is easy to grow, needs little fertilizer or water, and produces an oil-rich plant. Production of

10486-529: The use of two letters allowed only a few hundred combinations; a three-letter system of airport codes was implemented. This system allowed for 17,576 permutations, assuming all letters can be used in conjunction with each other. Since the U.S. Navy reserved "N" codes, and to prevent confusion with Federal Communications Commission broadcast call signs , which begin with "W" or "K", the airports of certain U.S. cities whose name begins with one of these letters had to adopt "irregular" airport codes: This practice

10593-516: Was also selected to provide on-ground power for the 747-400, with a 40 percent reduction in fuel consumption compared to previous APU designs. Final assembly of the first 747-400 began at Boeing's Everett factory , the longtime site of 747 production, in September 1987. More than fifty percent of the aircraft was produced by subcontractors, with major structures, engine nacelles, and sub-assemblies supplied by Northrop , and upper deck fuselage frames from Daewoo . All components were integrated during

10700-405: Was conducted on flight area and navigation area from 1994 to 2001. The runway was extended to 3,600 metres (11,811 ft) with Class 4E rating, allowing for larger jumbo jets including the Boeing 747-400 . The newly built terminal building was incorporated with a three-parallel-porch design, accommodating an hourly capacity of 3,500 passengers during rush hours, while the previous terminal building

10807-403: Was cut, but load factors improved. In April 2015, Delta announced it would accelerate the retirement of its 747-400s and replace them either with Airbus A330 or Airbus A350 aircraft (both of which are twinjets). Delta could not keep the 747s full without deeply discounting ticket prices; the discounts and increased maintenance required of a four-engine aircraft led to a drag on profits. Since

10914-543: Was delivered to KLM on April 10, 2002. Boeing sold 61 747-400M aircraft, which was similar to earlier 747 "Combi" versions (78 747-200M, 21 747-300M). KLM was the last commercial 747-400M operator. KLM initially planned to retire their 747-400M by January 1, 2021, however the Boeing 747-400M was instead retired by March 27, 2020, as Air France-KLM announced in early March 2020 to retire all remaining passenger Boeing 747-400s of KLM (including all KLM Boeing 747-400M aircraft) immediately due to reduced air travel demand caused by

11021-587: Was only designated for regional flights within Sichuan and Chongqing . The airport is now an international civil airport with flights to more than 50 international destinations and over 170 domestic airports, and is a hub for Chengdu Airlines , Air China and Sichuan Airlines . It is linked to downtown Chengdu by the Airport Expressway, the Chengdu–Mianyang–Leshan intercity railway and

11128-444: Was retired when ANA retired its last 747-400D on March 31, 2014. The 747-400ER (Extended Range) was launched on November 28, 2000, following an order by Qantas for six aircraft. The model was commonly referred to as the '910k', signifying its maximum weight achieved via structural modifications and modified landing gear. The 747-400ER included the option of one or two additional 3,240 US gal (12,300 L) body fuel tanks in

11235-498: Was rolled out on January 26, 1988, and made its maiden flight on April 29, 1988. Type certification was received on January 9, 1989, and it entered service with Northwest on February 9, 1989. It retains the 747 airframe , including the 747-300 stretched upper deck, with 6-foot (1.8 m) winglets . The 747-400 offers a choice of improved turbofans: the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 , General Electric CF6 -80C2 or Rolls-Royce RB211 -524G/H. Its two-crew glass cockpit dispenses with

11342-473: Was the only customer for the passenger version of the 747-400ER, chosen by the airline to allow for full loads between Melbourne and Los Angeles, particularly in the western direction. The 747-400ER could fly 500 miles (800 km) farther, or carry 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) more payload, than the -400. In May 2018, Qantas announced that it would retire the whole of its 747 fleet by 2020, including all 747-400ERs. The 747-400ERF (Extended Range Freighter)

11449-429: Was used as a fighter base by the 33d Fighter Group , which flew P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers from the airport in 1944 to support Chinese ground forces, and also by reconnaissance units that operated camera-equipped P-38 Lightnings that located Japanese forces and provided intelligence to the fighter-bombers. The Americans closed their facilities at Shwangliu Airfield at the end of August 1945. On 12 December 1956,

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