747 becomes Dutch hotel attraction

An ex-KLM Boeing 747-400 has been moved by road to become an attraction at a hotel in the Netherlands. The 29-year-old 747-406, PH-BFB City of Bangkok (c/n 24000), was the oldest example of the -400 series remaining in service, and had been with the Dutch flag-carrier since delivery in 1989. It made its last commercial flight in November 2018, after which it was repainted in the colours of Corendon, the Turkish holiday company which has a Dutch airline subsidiary. PH-BFB’s final flight saw it being ferried from Rome to Amsterdam Schiphol on 14 December, after which it was prepared for the road move to the Corendon Village Hotel in Badhoevedorp, south-west of the Dutch capital. There it will be used to house a display about the history of the 747 and of aviation in general.

The 7.7-mile journey from Schiphol to the hotel took five days, starting on 5 February, and was undertaken using a trailer provided by specialist transport company Mammoet. Along the way the aircraft had to cross 17 ditches, the A9 motorway and a local road. A total of 57 separate movements were required to position the 747 into the hotel garden, where it now sits on steel supports. Later this year, it will be converted into what Corendon calls a ‘5D experience’, which will enable visitors to explore most of the 747, including the chance to walk along its wings.