The countdown begins! Mammoet will transport the former KLM Boeing 747-400 City of Bangkok now painted in Corendon Hotel colours from Schiphol airport via the A9 into the garden of the Corendon Village Hotel.

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With a wealth of history behind it, the “City of Bangkok” has been carrying the KLM livery around the world for almost 30 years. The aircraft was first delivered to the Dutch flag carrier in 1989.

The aircraft was named in an elaborate ceremony that involved a Thai monk blessing. This was all before the aircraft first actually flew to Bangkok in April 1991. Following a final flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam (KL602), the aircraft is now being prepared to move to its final resting place. While many aircraft go on to scrapyards upon retirement, PH-BFB will park up outside a Schipol hotel.

Following delivery back in 1989, PH-BFB was named the “City of Bangkok” in an elaborate ceremony. The event which was attended by over 200 people was held inside KLM’s Hangar 11 at Schipol Airport. Nine of the attendees of the event were Thai monks. In fact, the Thai monks had arrived from a monastery in the Bangkok district of Laksi. Coincidentally, Laksi is where KLM’s crew stay on Bangkok layovers.

At the event, the Monks cooked for all of the attendees. Following this, the aircraft was “christened” with the title “City of Bangkok”. Despite the aircraft being delivered in 1989, it didn’t end up flying to Thailand until 1991. We know this thanks to a plaque near the entrance to the aircraft which commemorates the occasion which was presented by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

According to KLM, the City of Bangkok has amassed some 134,279 flight hours. This equates to 15.7 years, meaning the aircraft has spent over half of its life gracing the blue skies. This equates to 18,024 take off and landings. As such the average length of each flight undertaken by the aircraft is 7.45 hours. Additionally, with 408 seats onboard, KLM estimates that the aircraft has carried just under 6 million passengers across its life.