PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 7062 posts, RR: 53 Posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 743 times:
This is a question which has been on my mind for ages now, and I have been meaning to post it here for just as long!
Many, many years ago I flew with all of my family (about 20 people!) to Malta on Air Malta for Christmas, I was just 11 months old so remember nothing about the flight, but I have been told by family that the aircraft had 4 engines. Now I know at the time Air Malta had Boeing 707's, but I only recently found out that most of the fleet was comprised of Boeing 720's and that they had just a few 707's which were leased. Does anybody remember the routes that they were used on? I flew LHR-MLA-LHR, going out in 1987 and flying back in the first days of 1988, any information on what I may have flown would be very much appreciated
in mid 1987 Air Malta still had 9H-AAK/AAL/AAO, but -AAL left in late 87, -AAK in spring 88, and -AAO in mid 88 . So that it WAS a B720B. If interested I can fax you the pages of JP-87 and JP-88 .
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 3103 posts, RR: 23 Reply 3, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 672 times:
9H-AAO continued in service til december 1989. It visited Amsterdam a few times a week in the fall of 1989. It wasn't hushkitted and therefore not allowed to fly to western europe anymore after 1-1-1990.
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 7062 posts, RR: 53 Reply 4, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 625 times:
Quoting Philb (Reply 1): B720 9H-AAK, 9H-AAO both deliverd to the USA in early 1988
B707 NIL
The two B720s were rarely, if ever, used during the period and the 707s that had been hired in from Dan Air were long gone.
I wonder as it was the Christmas period if they were used more often, considering the LHR-MLA route was probably fairly busy at that time.
Quoting ME AVN FAN (Reply 2): in mid 1987 Air Malta still had 9H-AAK/AAL/AAO, but -AAL left in late 87, -AAK in spring 88, and -AAO in mid 88 . So that it WAS a B720B. If interested I can fax you the pages of JP-87 and JP-88 .
Very useful information, thank you! Afriad I don't have a fax machine though, but I'm sure I'll make it to the next ZRH meet so I might see you there
Quoting MEA-707 (Reply 3): 9H-AAO continued in service til december 1989. It visited Amsterdam a few times a week in the fall of 1989. It wasn't hushkitted and therefore not allowed to fly to western europe anymore after 1-1-1990.
Wow, no hushkits, I wish I could have remembered the noise from those engines as we took off:D
Once again, thanks for all the information, I shall now definately have to fly to Iran to catch the last B707, very interesting and pleased that I have flown on a B720!
Lijnden From Netherlands, joined Apr 2003, 501 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 594 times:
9H-AAK: I have seen at Marana X-Mas 1987.
9H-AAL: Came to MZJ in March 1988
9H-AAM: Retired around September 1986 and stored Malta
9H-AAN:Became N5487N and disappeared?
9H-AAO: Sold around December 1989
The list of B720's they used:
9H-AAK/9H-AAL/9H-AAM/9H-AAN/9H-AAO (some flew in the 70's with PIA reg's for a while)
Leased: TF-VLB/TF-VLC/OY-APV (back in the 70's)
Air Malta has flown also some B707'S planes. All were leased
Details:
CS-TBU/N762TB/G-AZTG/9G-ACN/9G-ACO/G-BHOX/G-BHOY/G-TJAB/G-TJAC/ST-AHG
I know CS-TBU was flown in the late 80's. I don't have the exact dates.
Other 4-engine planes flying for Air Malta were; N48059 + N48062, both CV880's.
That leaves for you two or three possible aircraft:
9H-AAL, 9H-AAO, (CS-TBU)
Philb From Ireland, joined May 1999, 2915 posts, RR: 15 Reply 7, posted (2 years 1 month 3 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 537 times:
Quoting Lijnden (Reply 6): know CS-TBU was flown in the late 80's. I don't have the exact dates.
This was leased by Air Malta a number of times and was on lease during the period in question - I missed it when I checked the details the first time. The lease dates were 30 April 87 to 31 January 88.
I have been back through the Heathrow logs for December 87 and January 88 in a number of UK Aviation Group magazines. Many Air Malta flights (though not all) are listed. The only aircraft listed are ALL B737. Had CS-TBU or either of the 720s operated a flight, this would have surely have caught attention and some note been made.
9H-AAO's delivery to the US seems to be a bit of a mystery
It certainly did not officially leave the fleet until December 1989 but there are several references to it having crossed the Atlantic in the Spring of 1988. If it was seen in Amsterdam in 1989 it must have returned but it eventually was registered as CX-BQG to Atlantair on 31.1.90 and immediately leased by Race Aviation . It was bought for the KC135E programme by Boeing in August 1990.
Sponsor Message: 
From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 7062 posts, 
From Ireland, joined May 1999, 2915 posts, 
From Switzerland, joined May 2002, 12636 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 3103 posts, 
From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 663 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
