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B-1880 2 Boeing 747SP-09 Mandarin Airlines HNL 17JAN99

Replacing an earlier scanned photo with a better version 15-Jun-17 + DeNoise AI 28-Sep-22.

 

Originally to have been delivered as B-1861 to China Airlines, that registration wasn't taken up and it was delivered as B-1880 in Apr-80.

 

It was transferred to Mandarin Airlines in Aug-92 and returned to China Airlines in Feb-99. In Jul-99 Taiwan changed their registrations to 5 numbers to avoid duplication with mainland China and this aircraft became B-18253.

 

It was sold to the Gulf Falcon Group, based at Sharjah, UAE, in Jan-00. Registered in Aruba as P4-GFD it was leased to Air Gulf Falcon. It was re-registered 3C-GFD (Equatorial Guinea) in Mar-00, 5Y-GFD (Kenya) in Jun-00 and 3D-GFD (Swaziland) in Oct-00 before being donated to Iraqi Airways in Nov-00 as YI-AOX.

 

The aircraft was damaged at Baghdad when the airport was captured by US Forces during the invasion of Iraq and was withdrawn from use there in Apr-03.

 

It was last noted still stored there in Aug-12 with other derelict aircraft from the old Iraqi Airways fleet, without engines and with all the doors open. If it hasn't already been broken up, it will be eventually.

 

I also have a photo of this aircraft in the original China Airlines livery at ...

www.flickr.com/photos/kenfielding/6456290325

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Uploaded on January 17, 2026
Taken on January 17, 1999