From KLM’s “City of Vancouver” to Aviationtag: The Journey of Boeing 747 VQ-BWM
In 2025, Aviationtag is proud to launch a new series crafted from the Boeing 747-400M bearing registration VQ-BWM, a jet that led a remarkable dual life. This “Queen of the Skies” flew passengers and cargo across the globe with KLM as PH-BFV – "City of Vancouver"– for over two decades, before a brief second career as a cargo freighter operated for JetOneX. Now, this storied Boeing 747 has been upcycled into unique aircraft tags, allowing aviation enthusiasts to own a genuine piece of flying history.
The KLM Era
"City of Vancouver" Takes Flight
The Boeing 747-406(M), manufacturer serial number 28460, was built in 1999 and delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on August 16, 1999. KLM christened the jet “City of Vancouver,” reflecting one of its long-haul destinations. As a 747-400M “Combi” model, this aircraft was uniquely configured to carry both passengers and freight on its main deck – a large cargo door in the rear fuselage allowed
loading of up to six pallet positions while the forward section remained for passengers. This versatility made the 747-400M a workhorse for KLM, efficiently serving routes with mixed passenger and cargo demand.
During 21 years of service with KLM, PH-BFV crisscrossed the globe on routes to Asia, North America, and beyond. It was part of KLM’s 747 fleet that helped the Dutch flag-carrier maintain worldwide connections for nearly half a century. In fact, KLM was the launch customer for the 747-400M in 1989 and remained its primary operator. By early 2020, the “City of Vancouver” had the distinction of being one of the last three 747s in KLM’s fleet. On March 29, 2020, PH-BFV joined
sister ships City of Shanghai and City of Tokyo on their final flights, marking the retirement of KLM’s jumbo jets after almost 50 years of service. With the global downturn in aviation that year, KLM’s jumbo era ended, and PH-BFV was parked and stored by October 2020.
Aviationtag Boeing 747 Collection Alle
Cargo Queen of the Skies
Second Life with JetOneX
Retirement wouldn’t be the end for this 747 just yet. In early 2022, the aircraft was given a new lease on life when Longtail Aviation acquired it to operate for JetOneX's cargo operations. The jumbo was re-registered VQ-BWM under Bermuda registry on February 3, 2022 and shortly after underwent minor freighter modifications (its combi configuration already made it suitable for hauling freight). Adorned with JetOneX titles, the familiar KLM blue found a new role in the cargo world. For a brief few months, VQ-BWM flew heavy cargo charters on long-haul routes – JetOneX became the only airline in the world operating the 747-400M combi at that time, since KLM’s retirement had made the variant effectively extinct in passenger service.
Despite the short duration, this 747 made its mark in cargo service. In March 2022, spotters caught VQ-BWM landing at Maastricht Airport, arriving from Ho Chi Minh City via Dubai. The jet also undertook transatlantic runs; for example, it flew from New York (JFK) to Europe carrying freight. Enthusiasts who had flown on City of Vancouver in its KLM days were thrilled to see it airborne again, this time loaded with cargo instead of passengers. However, the resurgence was fleeting – after just a few months of operation VQ-BWM was placed in storage in May 2022. JetOneX’s attempt to keep the combi flying proved economically challenging amid shifting cargo demand. The aircraft was ferried to London Stansted Airport (STN) for long-term parking, awaiting its fate.
Farewell at Stansted
Final Flight
After an illustrious career spanning a quarter-century, the end of the line arrived in 2024. The 747 VQ-BWM was dismantled at Stansted in June 2024. Over the course of the teardown, onlookers at STN could see the once-mighty jumbo gradually reduced to pieces – the engines were removed for resale or reuse, and the tail and wings taken apart for scrap. It was a poignant sight: this jet had carried millions of pounds of cargo and countless travelers’ memories, and now its flying days were over. As sad as the retirement of any “Queen of the Skies” is, this was not quite the end of the story for City of Vancouver.
Before the metal could disappear into recycling, Aviationtag and upcycling partners intervened to preserve parts of the aircraft’s skin. The iconic KLM blue and the JetOneX branding on the fuselage were carefully salvaged as aluminum sheet
sections. This ensured that the plane’s legacy would live on in a unique way – not only in photos and history books, but in the hands of aviation enthusiasts around the world.
Plane reborne
A New Life as an Aviationtag
The Boeing 747 VQ-BWM (ex-PH-BFV) has traveled from the skies to your pocket. From 1999 to 2020 it flew as KLM’s beloved combi City of Vancouver, then briefly
hauled cargo as JetOneX’s freighter, and finally met the breaker’s torch in 2024. Now, in 2025, its story continues through Aviationtag. This limited-edition aircraft tag preserves the legacy of a truly unique 747 – allowing aviation fans to celebrate an icon of the jet age, one tag at a time.
KLM blue? Qantas red? Korean Air blue? Or something completely different?
Which Aviationtag Boeing 747 color gets your vote?
👇 Let us know below!
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