As Air New Zealand prepares to retire the Queen of the Skies from service over the next few months its timely to look back on the introduction of the type this time 33 years ago when their first Boeing 747-219B, ZK-NZV "Aotea", was delivered to Auckland from the factory via Honolulu on 29 May 1981 and it entered service a couple of weeks later flying between Auckland and Sydney.
After retirement in 1999, ZK-NZV took on a new life with Virgin Atlantic Airways and became G-VZZZ "Morning Glory" departing Auckland for Los Angeles 08 July that year as VSA742. She was retired from their service in 2002 and stored at Mohave. She then took on the marks N702TA prior to being registered in the Bermudas as VP-BQE and entering service with Russian airline Transaero. Last reported in May 2012 as stored/withdrawn from service at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport.
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