The world's least-flown Boeing 747-8s is headed to the Marana Desert, potentially to be scrapped and used for parts. The nearly 10-year-old plane was reportedly destined for the Saudia Arabian Royal Flight group but was never taken up. Now, it might be at the end of its life even before it began.

End of the road?

Flight tracking data shows that N458BJ has made a long flight from Basel, Switzerland, to Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona. Per a recent tweet, the privately-owned Boeing 747-8I is headed to the desert for a 'part out,' or to be disassembled for its components, scrapping the plane altogether.

While the pandemic has seen dozens of 747s retired and scrapped for parts, N458BJ is a different example. The plane was originally ordered by the Saudia Arabian Royal Flight group, which is in charge of ferrying the country's leadership and royals. Boeing delivered it in June 2012, with plans for the plane to be registered as HZ-HMS1. However, ten years later, this never came to pass.

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While white tail 747s aren't rare, Boeing usually resells these planes or uses them as testbeds. Photo: Boeing

The plane has only flown a tiny 42 hours, a number most airlines meet in a few days, and even private 747s breeze through after a few months in the sky. Effectively, the plane has had little to no flying since its arrival in Basel and its departure on Saturday. Here's a clip of the plane leaving, possibly for the last time.

What will happen now?

It's clear that the Saudi government does not plan on taking up this plane. Indeed, even neighbor Qatar has been trying to sell its pair of private 747-8s to any willing (and deep-pocketed) customers across the globe. Since the government didn't take up the planes in this case, only a few options remain.

One is that the 747-8 is headed to be scrapped in the desert, with its valuable unused parts such as engines and avionics being sold to airlines piecemeal to recover the considerable price tag. Considering that the market for the 747 has all but disappeared due to the pandemic, this could be a sad reality for the new plane.

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Sometimes airplanes can be a source of valuable parts. Photo: Getty Images

The plane could also end up back in Boeing's possession, explaining the flight back to the US. However, with the aircraft landing at Pinal Airpark, a civilian aircraft boneyard that hosts scores of retired jets, the odds that this plane will return to the skies under a new owner are looking extremely slim.

While it seems that private 747-8s are falling out of favor with some, the type remains surprisingly popular. All of the plane's commercial operators are currently flying the type and don't plan on retiring them for years to come. The 747-8 will also serve world leaders for decades, with the new Air Force One built on this platform. More examples include South Korea's new presidential jet.

Sadly, N458BJ won't be one of these planes and is likely headed for the end even before its beginning. You can find more aviation news from Simple Flying here.

Source: ch-aviation