It may have once made the longest commercial flight in history , but Qantas ' first boeing 747-400 made its shortest journey to Illawarra Regional Airport on Sunday where it will now be the first plane of its type in the world to go on public display . After 25 years of service the City of Canberra plane was retired to an aviation museum based at Illawarra Regional Airport . After less than 15 minutes in flight , the specially numbered Qantas Flight ‘ 747 ’ was delivered to its new home with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society ( ( HARS ) where it will become the only B747-400 in the world to be put on display . Scroll down for video . Crowds cheer as the Qantas Boeing 747-400 lands at Illawarra Regional Airport . Qantas Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said donating the aircraft to the HARRS museum will provide not only a great tourist attraction for the Illawarra region , but also an opportunity to preserve an important piece of Qantas ’ and aviation history . ‘ It 's graced the pages of the record books , revolutionised air travel for Australians , marked a huge technical feat for Qantas and carried millions of passengers on their global adventures and home again , ' said Mr Joyce . The plane was so big that its two outside engines hung over the runway 's edge as it landed . 'Our B747-400 'City of Canberra ' is very deserving of a graceful retirement as the star attraction at one of Australia ’ s most prestigious aviation museums. ’ ABC News reported that thousands of people gathered in and around the small airport to watch the landing , and they cheered and applauded loudly as the plane landed on the short and narrow runway - a distance less than half the length of Sydney Airport 's runways . The plane was so big that its two outside engines hung over the runway 's edge as it landed on Illawarra Airport 's runway . The runway is just 30 metres wide but the aircraft has a wingspan of 64 metres . A pilot waves from the cockpit hatch of the Qantas Boeing 747 after landing at Illawarra Regional Airport . The Canberra left Sydney Airport and flew at just 4,000 feet and at a much slower speed than usual for its 15-minute hop down to Wollongong . Now the oldest aircraft in the Qantas fleet , the Canberra holds the record for the longest ever non-stop commercial flight for its trip from London to Sydney in 1989 . Over the past few years , Qantas has been gradually retiring its older B747s . Nine of its newest jumbos , the last of which was delivered in 2003 , have been refurbished and will continue flying into the future . Qantas pilot Greg Mathews talks to the assembled media at the airport after the flight . Since 2008 , the Qantas Group has taken delivery of almost 150 new aircraft , lowering its fleet age to an average of just over seven years . The aircraft will join an impressive line-up of famed aircraft located at HARS including a Lockheed Super Constellation , Catalina , Douglas DC3 and DC4 and a Desert Storm USS Army Cobra . Qantas crew wave to the crowd after the final retirement flight of the B747-400 .
It will now be the first plane of its type in the world to go on public display . City of Canberra plane was retired to aviation museum at Illawarra Airport . The Canberra left Sydney Airport and flew at just 4,000 feet . Plane was only 15 minutes in flight compared to its non-stop record . It was so big that its almost 150 outside engines hung over the runway 's edge .