This was the second Boeing 747SP ordered by Braniff International on May 22, 1978 to meet the anticipated passenger growth in the deregulated United States aviation market. It was the twenty-sixth 747SP to be built and was rolled out of the Boeing plant at Everett on October 22, 1979 with Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7J engines. Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N604BN it flew for the first time on November 29, 1979. Finally accepted by Braniff at Paine Field on April 23, 1980 in the striking orange livery it was configured to seat 192 passengers.

Little of the expected new business materialised from the anticipated growth in air travel from the newly deregulated U. S. market. This was evident with many Braniff 747 services departing from the new Boston hub nearly empty. The new Los Angeles hub, created to handle expected increases in travel on the airline's trans Pacific flights to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul, as well as an 'oil run' service between Dallas, Houston and Dubai utilising the 747SP fleet, did not deliver the anticipated growth. Rising fuel costs and reduced passenger bookings due to an economic recession resulted in Braniff cancelling all of its Pacific services except for the Dallas - Honolulu route. As a result this aircraft was offered for sale soon after delivery.

It was sold to Aerolineas Argentinas and rolled out in their full livery at Orly Airport on September 09, 1980. Ferried Orly - Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Texas on September 04, 1980 it was officially sold to Aerolineas Argentinas on September 12 and entered onto the Argentine Aircraft Register as LV-OHV. When no longer required it was sold to Caldwell Aircraft Trading on May 30, 1990 for on sale to Air Mauritius the following day. It was entered onto the Mauritian Aircraft Register as 3B-NAQ and named 'Chateau Benares'.

Air Mauritius sold it to Qatar Airways on February 07, 1996 and it was entered onto the Qatar Aircraft Register as A7-ABM. It was observed at London Gatwick Airport in basic Air Mauritius livery without titles or tail logo on April 08, 1996.

It was sold to the Qatar Government on August 01, 1996 before entering the British Airways maintenance facilities at London's Heathrow Airport the following month. Its registration was amended to A7-AHM on November 01, 1996. At some stage after its purchase by the Qatar Government it was converted to an executive configuration.

Transferred back to Qatar Airways on March 08, 1998 it remained in service until sold to the Yemen People's Republic on July 01, 2001. Entered onto the Yemeni Aircraft Register as 7O-YMN it operated its first service from Sanaa to Frankfurt on July 16, 2001 in its new livery. It was observed at Geneva on December 13, 2007 with new styled titling on the fuselage. This aircraft is regularly seen throughout Europe as it continued to fly with Yemenia.