Back in August, I mentioned that Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747-400 was about to be retired, and it was scheduled to operate its final commercial flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong on October 1st – Flight CX543. Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day to say goodbye to the Cathay 744 has arrived.

Perhaps there is a more sentimental mood when saying farewell in the rain. For instance, in Tang Dynasty poetry, there is Wang Wei’s “Seeing Off Yuan Er on a Mission to Anxi”: “A morning rain in Weicheng settles the light dust; The willows by the guest house are fresh and green. I urge you to drain another cup of wine; West of Yangguan, there are no old friends.” And Wang Changling’s “Seeing Off Xin Jian at Furong Tavern”: “Cold rain enters Wu at night, linking with the river; At dawn, I send you off amidst the lonely mountains of Chu. If my family in Luoyang asks how I am, tell them my heart remains like ice in a jade pot.” Today, the light rain continued incessantly, as if the heavens themselves regretted the retirement of this Queen of the Skies.

I rushed to Terminal 1 at Haneda Airport early in the morning. Due to the light rain, there weren’t too many aviation enthusiasts there to take photos yet. The light was dim and Visibility was poor, but as a historical witness to a memorable occasion, it wasn’t too regrettable.

At 10:35, the 747-400, tail number B-HUJ, was pushed back from Gate 142.

It taxied east along Taxiway M. The wind was from the north today, so Runway 05 was in use, just like when I flew on Cathay Pacific Flight CX543 from Haneda to Hong Kong.

It turned onto Taxiway P, giving a perfect head-on shot.

A group photo with the Haneda Airport International Terminal in the background—after all, this is the last chance.

A side view spotting photo.

Still on Taxiway P, the Tokyo Monorail coincidentally appeared in the background. Was it also here to “urge you to drain another cup of wine”?

Waiting at P2, with the Kawasaki industrial zone refinery in the background.

Entering L2 from P2, preparing to cross Runway 16R/34L.

Turning onto Taxiway A from A2, I fired off a continuous shot and finally managed to get a photo with the anti-collision lights on.

At the end of Taxiway A; the stretch from here to the threshold of Runway 05 is not visible from Terminal 1.

After waiting another 10 minutes or so, I changed shooting locations and barely managed to capture the moment B-HUJ took off.

It seems that the 747-400s of various airlines have all been retiring in recent years. However, this also proves the progress of aviation technology and reflects the characteristics of our times: protecting the Earth and conserving energy. Although it is regrettable, it is unavoidable. As the saying goes, “The waves behind drive on those before; new people inevitably replace the old ones.”