So long, 747! Hongkongers bid fond farewell to jet whose rise coincided with city’s
Final flight over Victoria Harbour draws spectators and elicits outpouring of memories on social media
Hongkongers bade an emotional farewell to Cathay Pacific’s last Boeing 747 on Saturday, marking the close of an eventful chapter in the city’s collective memory.
As the “queen of the skies” soared across Victoria Harbour for the very last time, local residents snapped photos of the plane that took many of them outside of the then-rising financial hub for the first time when the city’s flagship airline bought the jet in 1979.
“Thanks for a chance for a final farewell!” netizen Denise Ho wrote on Cathay Pacific Airways’ Facebook page. “CX 747s brought me and my family between Hong Kong and our stays in the US and Canada during my childhood ... I’ll miss my time on the upper deck!” Ho also posted a picture of the plane powering over the sky on Saturday.
The airline’s CX8747 flight left Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday morning, passing over the site of the former airport in Kai Tak as well as Lei Yue Mun before touching down 60 minutes later.
Cathay Pacific staff comprised the 300 passengers on board. Each had made a minimum donation of HK$747 to take the historic flight.
“Bye, queen. Your legend started in Kai Tak. Good to see your last flight,” Ron Tse wrote on the airline’s Facebook page.
