KLM to stop flying 747 aircraft to Houston

A KLM Boeing 747 approaches Bush Intercontinental Airport in March 2015. A KLM Boeing 747 approaches Bush Intercontinental Airport in March 2015. Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle Photo: Bill Montgomery, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 39 Caption Close KLM to stop flying 747 aircraft to Houston 1 / 39 Back to Gallery

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is swapping the iconic Boeing 747 for the newer, more efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its Houston-Amsterdam route.

With the departure of that final 747 Combi, which carries people and cargo, Houston will no longer have a passenger airline regularly flying the 747.

KLM is just one of many airlines phasing out the double-decker plane. The 747 introduced travelers to wide-body airplanes and helped make flying affordable, but it has lost ground to more fuel-efficient aircraft that can travel farther distances.

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In a statement, the Dutch airline said it has 12 passenger and Combi 747s in its fleet. These will be phased out in the coming years, and most will be replaced with Dreamliners.

"The Boeing 787 creates less ambient noise, consumes less fuel, and gives off fewer carbon dioxide emissions," the company said in a statement. "It brings us ever closer to our aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% in 2020 compared to 2011. It also offers numerous advantages in terms of passenger comfort."

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The final 747 flight from Bush Intercontinental Airport is scheduled to depart Friday at 4:35 p.m., according to FlightAware. KLM will fly a Boeing 777 for one day before switching to the Dreamliner.

There are still 747 cargo flights calling on Bush Intercontinental, and Lufthansa will sometimes fly a 747 when it doesn't have an Airbus A380 available. But for the most part, this is the final passenger flight.

HoustonSpotters.net provides information on viewing spots available at Bush Intercontinental.