Amsterdam • 11 OCT 2014
Just a week before the final flight of the last regular passengers service of the MD-11in the world,
I flew on board MD11 one last time with KL671 AMS-YUL with PH-KCE "Audrey Hepburn"
for my farewell Tri-jet flight.
Part 2 / 6
Part 3 / 6
Part 4 / 6
Part 5 / 6
Part 6 / 6
On board this last regular service of the MD-11 there were many MD-11 fans who wanted to fly with this aircraft one last time. The device is popular with many travelers and aviation photographers. In recent months, fans regularly booked precisely those routes on which KLM had deployed the MD-11.
Early this morning the KL672, the last passenger flight of the MD-11 of KLM, landed at Schiphol Airport.In addition to the last MD-11 flight worldwide, the Montreal flight also marks the end of a special period in civil aviation.
The collaboration between (McDonnell) Douglas and KLM has existed for more than eighty years, a unique history. Add the MD-11 to the list of aircraft no longer flying commercial airline flights.Dutch carrier KLM had been the world's last airline still using the three-engine "tri-jet" for regular revenue service. But that came to an end Sunday morning with KLM Flight 672 from Montreal to Amsterdam, the carrier's final regularly scheduled flight to be operated on the MD-11.Flight 672 -- flown by an MD-11 that KLM named "Audrey Hepburn" -- received a water-cannon salute when it arrived to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at around 6:35 a.m. local time (about 1:35 a.m. ET).KLM acknowledged the significance of the flight in the statement, saying Flight 672 "not only marks the end of KLM's MD-11 operations worldwide, but also the end of a remarkable era in civil aviation."Indeed, KLM's final regular flight MD-11 flight brings an end to the aircraft's nearly two-and-half-decade run of flying passengers for the world's airlines. The MD-11 first flew for a passenger airline on Dec. 20, 1990, debuting with Finnair on a flight from Helsinki to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.KLM plans to make three short – and already sold-out – "farewell" MD-11 flights over the Netherlands on Nov. 11, but those will not operate as part of the carrier's regular flight schedule. After that, the jet will exit KLM's fleet."KLM has in recent years invested in a modern, economical and sustainable fleet, in which there was no room for the MD-11," KLM says in a statement. "The aircraft, with its characteristic third engine in the tail, had become expensive to maintain and has relatively high fuel consumption. Spare parts are hard to come by and it is no longer feasible to maintain stocks."More broadly, KLM's wind-down of MD-11 service also marks the end of "tri-jet" service worldwide following the February retirement of DC-10.Sadly, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was never loved.Nevertheless, several hundred airline geeks and other fans joined KLM on Tuesday Nov. 11 to honor the three-engine aircraft and to say goodbye, and some even flew on one of three special farewell flights over the Netherlands.The last MD-11 commercial flight was Oct. 26, when KLM’s last MD-11 touched down at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. KLM had operated ten MD-11s and was the last passenger airline to fly one. Now, the MD-11 will fly only for cargo carriers.The October flight ended KLM’s 80-year relationship with McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997. In 2000, Boeing halted production of the MD-11 after 200 had been built. By contrast, McDonnell Douglas built 444 DC-10s.On board this last regular service of the MD-11 there were many MD-11 fans who wanted to fly with this aircraft one last time.The device is popular with many travelers and aviation photographers.In recent months, fans regularly booked precisely those routes on which KLM had deployed the MD-11, even if it meant a longer tri
Early this morning the KL672, the last passenger flight of the MD-11 of KLM, landed at Schiphol Airport.In addition to the last MD-11 flight worldwide, the Montreal flight also marks the end of a special period in civil aviation.The collaboration between (McDonnell) Douglas and KLM has existed for more than eighty years, a unique history.
Add the MD-11 to the list of aircraft no longer flying commercial airline flights.
Dutch carrier KLM had been the world's last airline still using the three-engine "tri-jet" for regular revenue service. But that came to an end Sunday morning with KLM Flight 672 from Montreal to Amsterdam, the carrier's final regularly scheduled flight to be operated on the MD-11.
Flight 672 -- flown by an MD-11 that KLM named "Audrey Hepburn" -- received a water-cannon salute when it arrived to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at around 6:35 a.m. local time (about 1:35 a.m. ET).
KLM acknowledged the significance of the flight in the statement, saying Flight 672 "not only marks the end of KLM's MD-11 operations worldwide, but also the end of a remarkable era in civil aviation."
Indeed, KLM's final regular flight MD-11 flight brings an end to the aircraft's nearly two-and-half-decade run of flying passengers for the world's airlines. The MD-11 first flew for a passenger airline on Dec. 20, 1990, debuting with Finnair on a flight from Helsinki to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
KLM plans to make three short – and already sold-out – "farewell" MD-11 flights over the Netherlands on Nov. 11, but those will not operate as part of the carrier's regular flight schedule. After that, the jet will exit KLM's fleet.
"KLM has in recent years invested in a modern, economical and sustainable fleet, in which there was no room for the MD-11," KLM says in a statement. "The aircraft, with its characteristic third engine in the tail, had become expensive to maintain and has relatively high fuel consumption. Spare parts are hard to come by and it is no longer feasible to maintain stocks."
More broadly, KLM's wind-down of MD-11 service also marks the end of "tri-jet" service worldwide following the February retirement of DC-10.
Sadly, the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was never loved.
Nevertheless, several hundred airline geeks and other fans joined KLM on Tuesday Nov. 11 to honor the three-engine aircraft and to say goodbye, and some even flew on one of three special farewell flights over the Netherlands.
The last MD-11 commercial flight was Oct. 26, when KLM’s last MD-11 touched down at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. KLM had operated ten MD-11s and was the last passenger airline to fly one. Now, the MD-11 will fly only for cargo carriers.
The October flight ended KLM’s 80-year relationship with McDonnell Douglas, which merged with Boeing in 1997. In 2000, Boeing halted production of the MD-11 after 200 had been built. By contrast, McDonnell Douglas built 444 DC-10s.
コメント