Aviationtag has added another aircraft to its growing list of collectible key tags made from aircraft fuselage. Today, the company launched a run of 15,000 tags made from B-16411, Eva Air’s last Boeing 747. The jet last flew in 2017 and was scrapped in California last year.
Retiring the Boeing 747 isn’t a new trend, sadly. Airlines such as Eva Air and El Al already decided to scrap the Queen of the Skies long before the COVID-19 pandemic. While others such as Virgin Atlantic, Qantas, and British Airways had been eyeing the type’s retirement, nobody expected the mass exodus that came with the virus.
Own part of Eva Air’s last Boeing 747
Over the years, Aviationtag has brought us a range of cool aircraft products, from parts of the first A380 to be retired to several 747s and even the Airbus Super Guppy. Now a new one is joining the mix.
Today Aviationtag launched sales of 15,000 tags created from B-16411, Eva Air’s last Boeing 747. According to data from ch-aviation.com, Eva Air ordered the aircraft with serial number 29111 in December 1996. It made its first flight on April 7th, 1998, and was delivered 20 days later.
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Eva Air was the only airline to fly the plane and certainly got its fair share of usage. During its life, the aircraft clocked 85,270 flight hours (9.73 years) across 15,655 flight cycles. That means that the aircraft’s average flight time was 05h27m, and it was used for an average of ten hours each day.
However, all things come to an end, and in the case of this jet, that happened in August 2017. On August 21st, Eva Air operated its last ever flight with the Boeing 747. Flight BR-892 flew from Hong Kong to Taipei, marking the end of an era.
Of the 372 seats onboard the plane, 370 were booked. Avgeeks and 747 lovers occupied many. Some flew as far as from Canada and the US to be on the flight. Days later, the aircraft made its final ever flight. It flew from its home for two decades in Taipei back to the country it was built in. The jet’s last flight took it to San Bernardino, not far from Los Angeles, California. It was scrapped there in June 2020.
Turned into tags
At the end of its life, companies may try and recycle as much of an aircraft as possible. In the case of the first Airbus A380 to be scrapped, 90% of the plane was salvaged and recycled, with some of the fuselage becoming key tags.
Now, Aviationtag has followed the same model with Eva Air's last Boeing 747, creating 15,000 tags from the skin at the front of the fuselage. These are primarily available in white, with some green and orange tags. Aviationtag is selling them on its website now.
Do you have an Aviationtag? Let us know which ones you have in the comments below!