University has retired Boeing 747 parked at the entrance
A university in northern Thailand has a Boeing 747 parked at the entrance.
The jumbo jet was formerly owned by Orient Thai Airlines but the carrier ceased operations in October 2018.
Staff at the Ubon Ratchathani University snapped up the junked 'Queen Of The Skies' and installed it in a field next to the security gate.
The aircraft, formerly with the registration HS-UTL, has been baffling passers-by ever since.
Passengers flying to and from the region's airport a few miles away also see it from the air, causing some to wander why it is not at the airport.
One travel blogger wrote: ''Please tell me why Ubon Ratchathani university has a Boeing 747 parked on its campus.''
The Boeing 747-300 was produced in Everett, Washington State,started service in 1985 with Korean Air Lines. Orient Thai Airlines bought the iconic double-decker jet in 2005 before it was leased to Garuda Indonesia in 2006 and returned a year later.
Records show it then remained in service until Orient Thai Airlines closed and the plane emerged at the university.
Dwindling numbers of Boeing 747s remain in the skies as carriers replace them with more fuel-efficient alternatives. Their decline is likely to be exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis as many airlines reduce fleet size and continue the trend towards mid-sized planes with fewer seats.
The jumbo jet was formerly owned by Orient Thai Airlines but the carrier ceased operations in October 2018.
Staff at the Ubon Ratchathani University snapped up the junked 'Queen Of The Skies' and installed it in a field next to the security gate.
The aircraft, formerly with the registration HS-UTL, has been baffling passers-by ever since.
Passengers flying to and from the region's airport a few miles away also see it from the air, causing some to wander why it is not at the airport.
One travel blogger wrote: ''Please tell me why Ubon Ratchathani university has a Boeing 747 parked on its campus.''
The Boeing 747-300 was produced in Everett, Washington State,started service in 1985 with Korean Air Lines. Orient Thai Airlines bought the iconic double-decker jet in 2005 before it was leased to Garuda Indonesia in 2006 and returned a year later.
Records show it then remained in service until Orient Thai Airlines closed and the plane emerged at the university.
Dwindling numbers of Boeing 747s remain in the skies as carriers replace them with more fuel-efficient alternatives. Their decline is likely to be exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis as many airlines reduce fleet size and continue the trend towards mid-sized planes with fewer seats.