Leaving Basel after almost ten years
AFG Aviation Ireland has sold a B747-8JA (serial number 40065) to Boeing. The wholly owned subsidiary of Aircraft Finance Germany ferried the aircraft on 15 April 2022 from Basel, Switzerland to Marana, Arizona, where it will very probably be scrapped. Yet the wide-body aircraft is technically almost as good as new.
And that's how it came about: Saudi Crown Prince Sultan ibn Abd al-Aziz wanted to provide the kingdom's VIP fleet with a new flagship. For the conversion into a flying palace, the aircraft arrived at Jet Aviation in Basel in 2012 with only 42 flying hours.
There, however, it remained untouched, as the Saudis showed no further interest in the aircraft after the death of the client. The plane’s airframe is still in its raw state and could thus also be converted into a full freighter. (ah)
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