1978. Boeing 747-200B, VR-HZB

Air Hongkong became an operator of the Queen of the Skies in 1978, when it received its first Boeing 747-200B directly from Boeing. Christened by Queen Elizabeth II, it was the first of a long line of "Queens" in Air Hongkong’s fleet, which at one point numbered over 40. The Boeing 747 allowed the airline to begin one-stop services to Europe for the first time, starting with the Hong Kong-Bahrain-London route in 1979. Eventually, the Red Sails would be seen across the globe, flying daily to destinations as close as Taipei and Hanoi, and as faraway as Johannesburg, Sao Paulo and New York. VR-HZB was one of the last Boeing 747-200B's delivered to Air Hongkong in 1985, and flew with the airline until 2000, when it was converted into a freighter. Upon delivery, the aircraft was delivered with 35 First Class lie-flat seats, 92 Business Class recliner seats and 236 Economy Class seats.