United Airlines adds Brisbane to its network

BRISBANE CITY

After having the Amberley Air show cancelled this weekend, the next exciting event on the aviation calendar was United coming to Brisbane.  Today United Airlines were performing their inaugural flight from San Francisco to Brisbane and was due in around 6.30am Brisbane time, so my copilot (youngest daughter) and I got out to the airport at 5.40am. UA96, a Boeing 787-9, departed runway 28L in San Francisco at 11.45pm Friday night and landed 13 hours 41 minutes later in Brisbane at 6.26am Sunday morning. 

N29984 performed the inaugural flight, its serial number is 66143 LN:1044

Its first flight was on the 21/09/2020 so the aircraft is 2Yrs. 1 Mth old.

The aircraft will sit on the ground here in Brisbane for 27 hours and head back to San Francisco tomorrow morning at 10.30am as UA97.

Unfortunately, the sun was still low at 6.30 so I apologies for the back light photos.

UNITED BOEING 787-9 N29984 (MSN 66143)

Sadly, there wasn't a water canon salute for the inaugural. The aircraft will sit on the ground for 28 hours and depart back to San Francisco tomorrow at 10.30am.

Brisbane airport ran a competition where you could get a chance to go airside to photograph or film the arrival. Myself or my family members weren't lucky enough to be one of the 25 people.

The observation deck, known as the turning circle, was pretty full as well. 

I opted for the top-level domestic car park.

Below are some other movements I took today.

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-203 VH-EBM (MSN 1061)
QF16 ARRIVING FROM LOS ANGELES (LAX)

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBR (MSN 1251)
QF52 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN)

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FGHZ (MSN 37169)
AC35 ARRIVING FROM VANCOUVER (YVR)

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZQ (MSN 39357)
QF505 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-VOK (MSN 33578)
VA908 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD)

SINGAPORE AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHA (MSN 254)
SQ235 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE

ALLIANCE EMBRAER E190 VH-UYB (MSN 19000012)

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A320-271N ZK-NHF (MSN 10589)
NZ201 ARRIVIN FROM CHRISTCHURCH (CHC)

BATIK AIR BOEING 737-MAX 8 9M-LRC (MSN 42985)
OD158 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS)

JETSTAR'S 787-8 AND AIRBUS A320-232

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKG (MSN 36232)
JQ57 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS)

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOT (MSN 4269)
QF2372 OFF TO WAGGA WAGGA (WGA)

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTA (MSN 1209)
MH135 ARRIVING FROM KUALA LUMPUR (KUL)

FIRE PRACTISE

PIONAIR BAe146-200 VH-SFV (MSN E2086)

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-842 A6-EUV (MSN 239)