The Boeing 747-8BBJ was built and made its first flight in 2012. The Saudi Arabian government ordered the 747, and the plane was delivered to the Saudi Arabian Royal Flight Group. As the name implies, the Saudi Royal Flight operates the private air fleet of the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
The 747-8BBJ was intended for Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. The prince never flew on the opulent airliner because he died in 2011 as the 747's interior was being fitted. Without its primary passenger, the Saudi Arabian Royal Flight Group never put the Boeing 747-8BBJ in service. The basically brand-new plane was flown to EuroAirport Basel and sat in Switzerland for a decade with only 42 flight hours. During that time span, no buyers for this unique aircraft were found, and the decision was made to scrap the plane.
The last flight took the jet with registraction number N458BJ from Switzerland to Arizona, where it would be salvaged. The plane will be scrapped for valuable parts, including the engines, avionics, and more which can be used as replacement parts for other 747-8s in operation. Scrapping the pane like this will allow the owner to recover a significant portion of the initial investment into the flying behemoth.
When the pandemic disrupted air travel, many passenger airlines had to retire their 747 fleets. However, a few lucky planes were preserved and converted into freighters while most sadly ended up in the scrapyard. Stories of low-time 747s being scrapped are far from unique in 2022; however, N458BJ is by far the least experienced of the lot.
Source: Simple Flying