Qantas’s historic Boeing 747-400 VH-OJA will fly into its new home with the Historical Aviation Restoration Society (HARS) at Illawarra Regional Airport on Sunday March 8.
The aircraft, which flew non-stop on its delivery flight from London to Sydney in 1989 and was Qantas’s first 747-400, is being retired after some 25 years’ service and has been donated to HARS.
OJA was expected to land at Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park south of Wollongong at about 0750 local time. The airport’s 16/34 runway was about 1,800 metres long.
The exact timing and date of the delivery flight was subject to weather conditions on the day, Qantas said on Tuesday.
The airline advised that perimeter roads around Illawarra Regional Airport will be subject to closures on the day.
According to the minutes of an extraordinary meeting of the Shellharbour City Council held on Monday February 9, the aircraft would be open to the public between 10am and 3pm each day and at other times by appointment.
“At this stage HARS have advised that there is no commercial operation to occur relating to this aircraft,” the minutes said.
“This will be a condition of the licence agreement.”
The licence to park the aircraft was valid for five years.
HARS has received an “in-kind donation” from the Council to subsidise the cost of renting the site where VH-OJA will be stationed.
The cost of the rent after the subsidy is $4,773.60 per year plus GST, the minutes said.
There was also an annual fee of $650 plus GST for the lease of airspace given part of the left wing and tail will be 6.9 metres above Airports Road.
