Dozens of cameras yesterday captured the final landing of the Japan Airlines' Boeing 747 jumbo jet as it glided onto the runway at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport.
Nearly 300 Japanese aviation enthusiasts paid a premium price to be the last customer of Japan Airlines' 747-400 series flight to Guam. The older model that was once a symbol of grandeur in flight is being replaced by a much more fuel-efficient and sleeker 747-800 series aircraft, said Mary Torres, general manager of the Guam Airport Authority.
Japan Airlines will phase out the older models on March 1 when the "last flight" for the 747s will take off from Naha, Japan to Narita Airport in the outskirts of Tokyo.
"They're basically just moving to the next series of more efficient aircraft, which means better fuel burn and taking advantage of newer technology, so it's just a new wave," said Torres. "This is exciting because I remember at one point, the 747 was the status and symbol of air flight here, so it's interesting to see how we have evolved over the 40 years of tourism on Guam."
The jumbo jet performed several touch-and-go landings for camera-wielding enthusiasts near the runway yesterday morning before returning to the airport terminal. Its last flight from Guam will take those hundreds of enthusiasts back to their homes in Japan.
"This is our way of saying goodbye and thank you, and this is also a way for a lot of hardcore fans to come out here and participate," said Robert Navarro, JAL's Guam assistant station director.
Guam was first a training ground for the 747-400 series nearly 20 years ago, he said. In the past, commercial pilots used the long runway to practice landing procedures.
Gas Guzzlers
The new series of Boeing 747s will be more fuel efficient and up to date on aircraft technology, said Navarro.
Japan Airlines recently announced that with the price of oil expected to rise from US$89 to US$106 a barrel, the fuel surcharge for the airline's Japan-Guam ticket per person will increase from US$32 to US$58 starting in April.
The airlines will revise its fuel surcharge calculations and adjust levels every two months instead of the current interval of three months, which is based on the average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, according to a JAL press release.
The price of the jet fuel in December 2010 and January 2011 averaged US$106.60 per barrel.
The price of fuel has always had an affect on travel and throughout the industry, said Torres.
"Our challenge is to make it affordable and manageable for the airlines as they have to make adjustments on their ends as well," she said. "With added prices, you can't automatically pass the cost on to customers, so there's always a balancing act in terms of what is affordable and what we generate in travel traffic. We work with the airlines to continue to keep our operating costs down."
She said it has been the mission of the airport to keep travel affordable and attractive for the airlines to do business on Guam.
The general manager said there was a period in the past when the escalating prices did have a direct effect on travel, but the island is seeing an upswing in airline travel that's comparable to the height of 2006.
"Things are looking up for the travel industry as a whole, and what we can do is continue to work with the airlines to make it affordable to travel on Guam," Torres said.
Navarro said as part of the airline's logistic planning, the company tries to purchase fuel in advance when it is at a lower price, but there's not much they can do to control oil prices.
The airlines will revise its fuel surcharge calculations and adjust levels every two months instead of the current interval of three months, which is based on the average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, according to a JAL press release.
Navarro said as part of the airline's logistic planning, the company tries to purchase fuel in advance when it is at a lower price, but there's not much they can do to control oil prices.
Nearly 300 Japanese aviation enthusiasts paid a premium price to be the last customer of Japan Airlines' 747-400 series flight to Guam. The older model that was once a symbol of grandeur in flight is being replaced by a much more fuel-efficient and sleeker 747-800 series aircraft, said Mary Torres, general manager of the Guam Airport Authority.
Japan Airlines will phase out the older models on March 1 when the "last flight" for the 747s will take off from Naha, Japan to Narita Airport in the outskirts of Tokyo.
"They're basically just moving to the next series of more efficient aircraft, which means better fuel burn and taking advantage of newer technology, so it's just a new wave," said Torres. "This is exciting because I remember at one point, the 747 was the status and symbol of air flight here, so it's interesting to see how we have evolved over the 40 years of tourism on Guam."
The jumbo jet performed several touch-and-go landings for camera-wielding enthusiasts near the runway yesterday morning before returning to the airport terminal. Its last flight from Guam will take those hundreds of enthusiasts back to their homes in Japan.
"This is our way of saying goodbye and thank you, and this is also a way for a lot of hardcore fans to come out here and participate," said Robert Navarro, JAL's Guam assistant station director.
Guam was first a training ground for the 747-400 series nearly 20 years ago, he said. In the past, commercial pilots used the long runway to practice landing procedures.
Gas Guzzlers
The new series of Boeing 747s will be more fuel efficient and up to date on aircraft technology, said Navarro.
Japan Airlines recently announced that with the price of oil expected to rise from US$89 to US$106 a barrel, the fuel surcharge for the airline's Japan-Guam ticket per person will increase from US$32 to US$58 starting in April.
The airlines will revise its fuel surcharge calculations and adjust levels every two months instead of the current interval of three months, which is based on the average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, according to a JAL press release.
The price of the jet fuel in December 2010 and January 2011 averaged US$106.60 per barrel.
The price of fuel has always had an affect on travel and throughout the industry, said Torres.
"Our challenge is to make it affordable and manageable for the airlines as they have to make adjustments on their ends as well," she said. "With added prices, you can't automatically pass the cost on to customers, so there's always a balancing act in terms of what is affordable and what we generate in travel traffic. We work with the airlines to continue to keep our operating costs down."
She said it has been the mission of the airport to keep travel affordable and attractive for the airlines to do business on Guam.
The general manager said there was a period in the past when the escalating prices did have a direct effect on travel, but the island is seeing an upswing in airline travel that's comparable to the height of 2006.
"Things are looking up for the travel industry as a whole, and what we can do is continue to work with the airlines to make it affordable to travel on Guam," Torres said.
Navarro said as part of the airline's logistic planning, the company tries to purchase fuel in advance when it is at a lower price, but there's not much they can do to control oil prices.
The airlines will revise its fuel surcharge calculations and adjust levels every two months instead of the current interval of three months, which is based on the average price of Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, according to a JAL press release.
Navarro said as part of the airline's logistic planning, the company tries to purchase fuel in advance when it is at a lower price, but there's not much they can do to control oil prices.
