As reported by RoutesOnline, the final El Al 747 is scheduled to operate between Rome (FCO) and Tel Aviv (TLV). The outbound TLV-FCO leg will depart on Nov. 1, before returning to TLV — and retiring — on Nov. 3.
The flights, which will be charter flights, will operate on the following schedule:
- LY1744 Tel Aviv (TLV) 8:05 a.m. Departure ⇒ Rome (FCO) 10:30 a.m. Arrival — Nov. 1
- LY1747 Rome (FCO) 10:00 a.m. Departure ⇒ Tel Aviv (TLV) 3:45 p.m. Arrival — Nov. 3
Neither of the aircraft's final flights are available to book on El Al's website. Currently, El Al has only two 747s operating in its fleet, registered as 4X-ELA and 4X-ELC, which are 25 years and 24 years old, respectively, according to PlaneSpotters.net. 4X-ELC will be the final 747 flying with El Al.
El Al's four-engine 747s will be replaced by the newer and more fuel-efficient twin-engine Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The carrier took delivery of its first Dreamliner in August 2017, and since then, it's taken delivery of an additional 11 of the aircraft, which feature a three-class configuration: business, premium and economy.
The hard products on the Dreamliner represent a significant improvement over the aged 747s. TPG himself flew El Al's first class product on the 747 earlier this year and found the vintage plane experience a pro, but the otherwise outdated experience (and bad food) to be a con. You can watch his full review below.
