Background Information.

 

This aircraft type was ordered by Qantas Airways on November 18, 1983. Qantas operated six Boeing 747-338s from November 1984 until December 2008. The first aircraft VH-EBT 'City of Canberra' was handed over to Qantas at the Boeing Aircraft factory at Everett (Paine Field), Seattle on November 14, 1984 before departing on its delivery flight to Australia via Honolulu. It arrived in Sydney on November 16, 1984 as QF501 this also bering its first commercial service. This was the first aircraft painted in the new predominately white Qantas colours.

Featuring a stretched upper deck, these aircraft initially took over form the earlier Boeing 747-238B services along the Kangaroo Route to Europe. Progressively the Boeing 747-338s would be also seen on the majority of Qantas medium and long haul routes to Asia, Africa, the United States and the trans-Tasman. Prior to their retirement they were used extensively on the Sydney and Melbourne to Perth domestic routes.

On November 16, 1995, VH-EBT re-entered service on the Sydney - Tokyo route as QF21 in the special Aboriginal colour scheme 'Nalanji Dreaming'. This flight also celebrated Qantas' 75th Anniversary.

The last commercial service of a Boeing 747-338 was flown by VH-EBY 'City of Mildura' as QF25 on the Melbourne - Auckland - Los Angeles service departing December 29, 2008. The Qantas Boeing 747-338 fleet flew approximately 524,000 hours and 97,000 landings.