So where do old Boeing 747 Jumbos go to die?¹

Well, most of them wind up in the aircraft “boneyards” scattered around the world, some are cannibalised for parts, and a few end up as ornaments, attractions or exhibits.

Yesterday, I reported on one that is destined to become an underwater attraction in Bahrain.

Today, a Dutch travel agency, airline company and hotel operator, Corendon, has announced it is putting a complete Boeing 747-400 in the garden of its Corendon Village Hotel in Amsterdam.

Now that the orders for new B747 variants has dried up, these days there are plenty of unwanted older airframes scheduled to be disposed of… which means if you have the space for one, plus the resources and money to get it relocated, then you can buy one at bargain basement prices.

For Corendon the relocation is simple…ish. The hotel is next door to Schiphol airport.

This Tuesday evening (5th Feb) the Dutch specialized transport company, Mammoet, will start moving the 150 ton plane over five days, from the airport to the hotel – crossing on its way 17 ditches, the A9 autoroute, and one provincial road.

The Boeing 747 is the 30 year-old former KLM aircraft ‘City of Bangkok’. In recent weeks it has been painted in the colours of Corendon in Rome. Also, since landing at Schiphol (obvs!) it is has been stripped of all serviceable parts, such as the engines.

Coredon plan to convert the aircraft into the “Corendon Boeing 747 Experience”, which will open its doors in the autumn of 2019.

Update: Ooh, look! There’s a video…

¹ Hat tip to The Telegraph’s Oliver Smith who has diligently catalogued exactly where old B747s are going to die.

² The hotel opened last year in the former headquarters of Sony. With over 680 rooms, suites and apartments it is the largest hotel in the Benelux.

[amazon_link asins=’1783030399,1785210912,3613032198,B079ZXLQKS,1427627436′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’mechtraveller-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’e17af318-82ad-4225-8f61-8e8fc7e0a0e0′]