With much fanfare, Cathay Pacific Airways has made a symbolic move into the future - retiring the last of an ageing model of aircraft that has long been a workhorse in its fleet.
The carrier's final Lockheed TriStar L1011 - which joined Cathay's fleet in 1978 - yesterday made its last revenue flight from Nagoya to Hong Kong via Taipei.
Cathay discovered that even meticulously organised public relations exercises can go awry at awkward moments - the flight was late, keeping press photographers waiting 58 minutes to record the occasion.
It was perhaps an unfair end for what has been one of Cathay's most reliable aircraft models since it began operating them in 1975.
Since then, Cathay's fleet of 19 TriStars has flown more than 487,000 hours - winning them a reputation as the workhorses of Cathay's fleet.
The TriStar which retired yesterday made 20,100 take-offs and landings during its 18-year history with the airline.