Retired United Airlines Boeing 747-400 becomes landmark in Seattle as it's literally wedged between two skyscrapers
Published on Mar 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 20, 2026 at 3:45 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
When United Airlines retired this Boeing 747-400, they probably didn’t envision it finding such an unlikely new purpose.
Flying with the airline for 24 years, the aircraft was N178YA, and it was delivered to United in November 1990.
Over its career, it completed more than 100,000 flight hours, which involved nearly 13,000 takeoffs, but after it was withdrawn from service, it needed to find a new home.
Fortunately, the aircraft wasn’t scrapped, but rather than end up in a museum, the airliner is now part of a luxury development in Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood.
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This is what happened to the United Airlines Boeing 747-400
Boeing 747-400 N178UA first entered service with United Airlines over 30 years ago.
Pictures online show the Boeing throughout its career, carrying a variety of liveries during its service life.
It flew with United until October 2017, when it was retired and put into storage.
United Airlines no longer operates the Boeing 747 as a whole, with 2017 the year it retired its fleet.
In fact, the airline was the last operator of the Jumbo Jet in the United States.
After being in storage up until 2022, the jet was dismantled for its journey to Seattle.
Now, it’s becoming an unusual centerpiece between two new high-rise apartment buildings.
Forming part of an art installation, the fuselage will be wedged between two towers of the 1200 Project, located on Stewart Street.
It is an unlikely location for an American airliner to end up.
But it’s certainly one way to reuse the legendary aircraft.
How the Jumbo Jet ended up in Seattle
After retiring from service, the Boeing 747 was purchased from ComAv.
They had stored the aircraft in Victorville, California.
The jet was then dismantled and transported to downtown Seattle in 39 body parts.
According to the Seattle Times, more than half of its fuselage panels are currently in place.
The aircraft has been installed as a tribute to Seattle’s aviation history.
The city is, of course, the birthplace of Boeing.
Soon, the fuselage will be reconstructed in its entirety, minus the wings and tailplanes.
The aim is to have the fuselage of the aircraft fully reconstructed by April 2026.
However, the interior will take longer to fit out, with it likely to become an office space.
A brief history of Boeing
1916: William E. Boeing founded the company as Pacific Aero Products Co. in Seattle, Washington, later renaming it the Boeing Airplane Company.
1927: The company establishes Boeing Air Transport to carry airmail, a venture that eventually spins off to become United Airlines.
1940s: Boeing becomes a pivotal military contractor during World War II, mass-producing iconic bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress.
1958: The Boeing 707 enters commercial service, becoming America’s first highly successful jet airliner and ushering in the passenger jet age.
1969: The iconic Boeing 747 ‘Jumbo Jet’ takes its first flight, dramatically lowering ticket prices and revolutionizing global long-haul travel.
1997: The company merges with longtime aerospace rival McDonnell Douglas, vastly expanding its defense, space, and commercial portfolios.
2011: The 787 Dreamliner enters commercial service, pioneering the use of lightweight composite materials to maximize fuel efficiency.
2018–Present: The company enters a prolonged period of crisis following two fatal 737 MAX crashes, leading to global groundings, leadership changes, and heavy scrutiny over its manufacturing and safety cultures.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
