United Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 747-100 in June 1970 and went on to build a fleet of seventeen of the -100 variant by May 1973. A further six 747-100s were acquired between September 1987 and September 1989. All of these aircraft have subsequently been scrapped.
Eleven shorter 747SPs were delivered to United during 1986. Four of these aircraft moved to other operators and are currently either in storage or preserved, including N145UA which joined NASA in 1997 (re-registered as N747NA) and was modified to carry the telescope for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) project.
Boeing 747SP-21 was registered as N145UA when operating for United Airlines. It is shown here in 1998, shortly after joining NASA from United and becoming the SOFIA aircraft. It was eventually re-registered as N747NA by NASA. (NASA/USRA)
United Airlines took delivery of ten 747-200s between March 1987 and July 1991. Several of these aircraft were eventually converted to freighters including N152UA, which is currently active with Aerostan (registered as EX-47001), a cargo carrier from Kyrgyzstan. Three former United 747-200s have been in storage since 2009-2011 and the remaining six aircraft have been scrapped.
The 747-400 was the popular variant of the type used by United Airlines. The carrier received its first 747-400 in June 1989 and operated 44 aircraft over a 28-year period, with the final one delivered in May 2000. At least seventeen of these aircraft moved on to other operators and five remain in service today with Mahan Air, the Dubai Air Wing (2), Atlas Air and Max Air. United flew its last 747 service on 7 November 2017. Twenty-one of its original 747-400s have been scrapped, while twelve remain in storage at Victorville’s aircraft boneyard in California.
Boeing 747-422 N119UA operated for United Airlines between 1999 and 2017. It joined Atlas Air in 2019 as N480MC and remains in service today. (Konstantin von Wedelstaedt, distributed under a GFDL 1.2 Licence)
Former United Airlines 747-422 N187UA joined Orient Thai Airlines as HS-STA in 2011. Following retirement in 2015 it has been preserved and used as a 747 Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand. (Hello2day)
Several ex-United Airlines’ 747-400 airframes have been repurposed for unusual, new leases of life: former N187UA is used as a two-storey café in Bangkok and N178UA is being prepared for use as a lounge and office area as part of a twin high-rise residential and retail complex in Seattle, USA.
The following list summarises the fate of United’s 747 fleet, including the last known whereabouts of the extant airframes (Data from Planespotters.net and PlaneBase.biz).
United’s 747-100s
Boeing 747-122 N4704U was the second 747 to be acquired by United Airlines, following delivery in August 1970 (clipperarctic, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 Licence)
Boeing 747-123 N154UA was part of a second batch of six -100 variants to be acquired by United Airlines from September 1987. (contri from Yonezawa-Shi, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 Licence)
N4703U 747-122 (19753) – Delivered June 1970. Scrapped in 2011
N4704U 747-122 (19754) – Delivered August 1970. Scrapped in 2011
N4710U 747-122 (19755) – Delivered August 1970. Scrapped in 2002
N4711U 747-122 (19756) – Delivered August 1970. Scrapped in 2012
N4712U 747-122 (19757) – Delivered August 1970. Scrapped in 2017
N4714U 747-122 (19876) – Delivered November 1970. Scrapped
N4716U 747-122 (19877) – Delivered December 1970. Scrapped
N4717U 747-122 (19878) – Delivered December 1970. Scrapped
N4718U 747-122 (19879) – Delivered May 1971. Scrapped
N4719U 747-122 (19880) – Delivered June 1971. Scrapped
N4720U 747-122 (19881) – Delivered July 1971. Scrapped
N4723U 747-122 (19882) – Delivered January 1972. Scrapped
N4727U 747-122 (19883) – Delivered June 1972. Scrapped
N4732U 747-122 (19927) – Delivered March 1973. Scrapped
N4729U 747-122 (19926) – Delivered April 1973. Scrapped
N4728U 747-122 (19925) – Delivered April 1973. Scrapped
N4735U 747-122 (19928) – Delivered May 1973. Scrapped
N155UA 747-123 (20104) – Delivered September 1987. Scrapped in 1999
N154UA 747-123 (20103) – Delivered October 1987. Scrapped in 2002
N157UA 747-123 (20106) – Delivered October 1987. Scrapped by 2007
N156UA 747-123 (20105) – Delivered October 1987. Scrapped
N153UA 747-123 (20102) – Delivered January 1988. Scrapped by 2007
N4724U 747-122 (19875) – Delivered September 1989. Scrapped
United’s 747SPs
Boeing 747SP-21 N147UA was delivered to United Airlines in February 1986. The aircraft is currently preserved at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, USA, where it is used for research purposes. (Tim Rees, distributed under a GFDL 1.2 Licence)
N150UA 747SP-27 (21992) – Delivered February 1986. Joined NASA as N747A in 2017. Stored at Mojave Airport, California, USA since May 2017.
N140UA 747SP-21 (21022) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 1996
N142UA 747SP-21 (21024) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 1996
N143UA 747SP-21 (21025) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 1995
N144UA 747SP-21 (21026) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 1996
N146UA 747SP-21 (21547) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 2004
N147UA 747SP-21 (21548) – Delivered February 1986. Preserved at the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center, Atlantic City International Airport, New Jersey, USA, for research purposes.
N148UA 747SP-21 (21648) – Delivered February 1986. Stored at Pinal Airpark, Marana, Arizona, USA since October 2019.
N149UA 747SP-21 (21649) – Delivered February 1986. Scrapped in 2021
N141UA 747SP-21 (21023) – Delivered September 1986. Scrapped in 1996
N145UA 747SP-21 (21441) – Delivered November 1986. Joined NASA in 1997 as N747NA and became the SOFIA project airborne observatory aircraft. Preserved at Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona, USA since December 2022.
United’s 747-200s
Boeing 747-238B N160UA, one of ten -200 variants operated by United Airlines. (Alain Durand, distributed under a GFDL 1.2 Licence)
N151UA 747-222B (23736) – Delivered March 1987. Scrapped
N152UA 747-222B (23737) – Delivered April 1987. Joined Aerostan (EX-47001) as a freighter in 2020. Active
N724PA 747-212B (21316) – Delivered November 1990. Joined Kallat Elsaker Air as XT-DMK in 2007. Stored at Sanaa International Airport, Yemen since 2009.
N159UA 747-238B (21140) – Delivered January 1991. Scrapped
N160UA 747-238B (21237) – Delivered March 1991. Scrapped
N161UA 747-238B (21352) – Delivered March 1991. Joined RAK Airways as J2-KCP in 2008. Stored at Mehrabad International Airport, Tehran, Iran since 2011.
N163UA 747-238B (21353) – Delivered May 1991. Scrapped
N158UA 747-238B (21054) – Delivered June 1991. Joined Kallat Elsaker Air as XT-DMT in 2010. Stored at Fujairah International Airport, UAE since 2010.
N164UA 747-238B (21657) – Delivered June 1991. Scrapped in 2005
N165UA 747-238B (21658) – Delivered July 1991. Scrapped in 2009
United’s 747-400s
Boeing 747- 422 N171UA, the first -400 variant delivered to United Airlines in June 1989. (Clemens Vasters, distributed under a CC BY 2.0 Licence)
N171UA 747-422 (24322) – Delivered June 1989. Scrapped by 2018
N172UA 747-422 (24363) – Delivered August 1989. Joined Mahan Air as EP-MNB in 2009. Stored at Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran since June 2021.
N173UA 747-422 (24380) – Delivered December 1989. Scrapped by 2013
N174UA 747-422 (24381) – Delivered January 1990. Scrapped in 2018
N175UA 747-422 (24382) – Delivered August 1990. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since October 2017. Partially scrapped
N176UA 747-422 (24383) – Delivered September 1990. Joined Mahan Air as EP-MNA in 2008 and re-registered as EP-MEE in 2021. Active
N177UA 747-422 (24384) – Delivered November 1990. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since September 2016.
N178UA 747-422 (24385) – Delivered November 1990. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since October 2017. Due to be preserved as part of a high-rise retail and residential complex in Seattle, USA.
N180UA 747-422 (25224) – Delivered July 1991. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since October 2017.
N179UA 747-422 (25158) – Delivered July 1991. Scrapped
N181UA 747-422 (25278) – Delivered October 1991. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since October 2017.
N182UA 747-422 (25279) – Delivered October 1991. Scrapped in 2018
N183UA 747-422 (25379) – Delivered April 1992. Scrapped in 2015
N184UA 747-422 (25380) – Delivered May 1992. Scrapped in 2014
N185UA 747-422 (25395) – Delivered June 1992. Scrapped in 2012
N186UA 747-422 (26875) – Delivered August 1992. Scrapped in 2021
N187UA 747-422 (26876) – Delivered September 1992. Joined Orient Thai Airlines as HS-STA in 2011. Preserved and used as a 747 Cafe, Bangkok, Thailand in 2020.
N188UA 747-422 (26877) – Delivered December 1992. Scrapped in 2021.
N189UA 747-422 (26878) – Delivered March 1993. Joined Kabo Air as 5N-MDK in 2013. Stored at Pinal Airpark, Marana, Arizona, USA since January 2019.
N190UA 747-422 (26879) – Delivered April 1993. Joined Mahan Air as EP-MNC in 2008. Stored at Imam Khomeini International Airport, Iran since 2010.
N191UA 747-422 (26880) – Delivered June 1993. Scrapped in 2021
N192UA 747-422 (26881) – Delivered August 1993. Scrapped in 2013
N105UA 747-451 (26473) – Delivered June 1994. Stored at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport, North Carolina, USA since February 2018
N106UA 747-451 (26474) – Delivered July 1994. Scrapped in 2013
N193UA 747-422 (26890) – Delivered August 1996. Scrapped in 2013
N195UA 747-422 (26899) – Delivered May 1997. Scrapped in 2014
N196UA 747-422 (28715) – Delivered June 1997. Scrapped in 2013
N197UA 747-422 (26901) – Delivered July 1997. Scrapped in 2022
N198UA 747-422 (28716) – Delivered August 1997. Stored at Mojave Airport, California, USA since May 2017. Partially broken up for use in Stratolaunch Project.
N199UA 747-422 (28717) – Delivered September 1997. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since May 2016.
N104UA 747-422 (26902) – Delivered January 1998. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since July 2017.
N107UA 747-422 (26900) – Delivered August 1998. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since October 2017.
N108UA 747-422 (26903) – Delivered August 1998. Joined Dubai Air Wing Royal Flight as A6-HRM and converted to VIP aircraft in 2003. Active
N109UA 747-422 (26906) – Delivered November 1998. Joined Dubai Air Wing Royal Flight as A6-MMM and converted to VIP aircraft in 2003. Active
N116UA 747-422 (26908) – Delivered December 1998. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since September 2017.
N117UA 747-422 (28810) – Delivered January 1999. Scrapped in 2018
N118UA 747-422 (28811) – Delivered February 1999. Scrapped in 2018
N119UA 747-422 (28812) – Delivered March 1999. Joined Atlas Air as N480MC in 2019. Active
N120UA 747-422 (29166) – Delivered April 1999. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since June 2017.
N121UA 747-422 (29167) – Delivered April 1999. Scrapped
N122UA 747-422 (29168) – Delivered June 1999. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since June 2017.
N127UA 747-422 (28813) – Delivered August 1999. Stored at Victorville, California, USA since August 2017.
N128UA 747-422 (30023) – Delivered May 2000. Joined Max Air as 5N-ADM in 2018. Active
N194UA 747-422 (26892) – Delivered September 1996. Scrapped in 2016
Boeing 747-422 joined Mahan Air as EP-MNA in 2008, as shown here, before being re-registered as EP-MEE in 2021. The aircraft is currently in service with Mahan Air. It was previously operated by United Airlines as N176UA. (Simisa, distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 Licence)
Boeing 747-422 joined the Dubai Air Wing as A6-HRM in 2003 following conversion to a VIP aircraft. It remains in active service today. The aircraft was originally delivered to United Airlines in August 1998 and registered as N108UA. (Alec Wilson, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 Licence)
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