The retired USS John F. Kennedy​ aircraft carrier will embark on its final voyage after spending nearly two decades docked in Philadelphia.

The 1,052-foot-long ship, which has been housed at the U.S. Navy’s Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility since 2008, is making its final voyage on the way to the scrap heap.

"Big John," as it was affectionately nicknamed, was decommissioned in 2007 and has been in Philadelphia ever since.

The aircraft carrier, which has been docked in South Philadelphia since 2008, will make its exit through the Delaware River.

The ex-USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) aircraft carrier moored at the Philadelphia Navy Yard will commence its final journey Thursday morning to Brownsville, Texas, where it will be scrapped.