Hello all,
Who was the last passenger 747 operator in the United States before DL/NW and UA? When was the last pax 747 retired before DL/NW and UA?
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Of the non charter folks, I was guessing TWA in the late 90s?
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Northwest1988 wrote:Hello all,
Who was the last passenger 747 operator in the United States before DL/NW and UA? When was the last pax 747 retired before DL/NW and UA?
I would say TWA LAX-JFK
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Northwest1988 wrote:Hello all,
Who was the last passenger 747 operator in the United States before DL/NW and UA? When was the last pax 747 retired before DL/NW and UA?
TWA/AA?
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- DarthLobster
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Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
I believe Continental retired their 747 fleet in 1999
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- Northwest1988
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Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
It’s funny how large of a gap there was between the last US pax 747 retirement and the ones with DL and UA. What about charter airlines?
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Don't forget about Tower Air. They had an all 747 fleet and offered scheduled services until May 2000 according to Wikipedia.
I get what you're saying, but of course the reason was because NW and UA ordered the 747-400. All the prior 747 retirements were older -100 and -200 variants.
Northwest1988 wrote:It’s funny how large of a gap there was between the last US pax 747 retirement and the ones with DL and UA.
I get what you're saying, but of course the reason was because NW and UA ordered the 747-400. All the prior 747 retirements were older -100 and -200 variants.
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- spacecadet
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Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
What exactly does this question mean? Do you mean who was the fourth-last American-based 747 operator? That's kind of an odd question, to be honest. There are only maybe 6 or 7 passenger airlines who would even be in a position to fly the 747 to begin with. So you're asking who was among the first, but not actually the first to retire it?
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
spacecadet wrote:What exactly does this question mean? Do you mean who was the fourth-last American-based 747 operator? That's kind of an odd question, to be honest. There are only maybe 6 or 7 passenger airlines who would even be in a position to fly the 747 to begin with. So you're asking who was among the first, but not actually the first to retire it?
You think that it's an odd question to ask?
Don't you take notice of how many ridiculous questions are asked here on a.net!
A.net over the last two years has become a site for childish questions and people suffering from the likes of 'Asperger Syndrome' to express their ridiculous opinions but in the grand scale of things I find that the topic posed by the OP is a relevant one.
All the OP is asking is what we're the last US airlines to retire their passenger 747's prior to the recent withdrawal of the aircraft by Delta and American.
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Interesting question. Gets you thinking.
American got rid of their SPs in 1994
Then I thought of World Airways. Most were converted to freighters towards the end but they were operating passenger flights for the military and chartered flights weren't they?
Are we counting them?
American got rid of their SPs in 1994
Then I thought of World Airways. Most were converted to freighters towards the end but they were operating passenger flights for the military and chartered flights weren't they?
Are we counting them?
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
Airfleets shows the last TWA 747 left the fleet in May 1998. N303TW.
Same source shows CO last 747 was N17010 which was transferred to TWA in 1996. Two of CO 747's went to COMike and served until 1990.
Still have Atlas 747-400's still flying...
Same source shows CO last 747 was N17010 which was transferred to TWA in 1996. Two of CO 747's went to COMike and served until 1990.
Still have Atlas 747-400's still flying...
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
910A wrote:Still have Atlas 747-400's still flying...
In fact, I just happened to see one take off from BNA this afternoon! Looks like a military charter heading down to Fort Hood:
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/GTI8479/history/20180114/1900Z/KBNA/KGRK
(Though I realize the OP was likely talking more about regularly scheduled passenger service...)
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
n729pa wrote:Interesting question. Gets you thinking.
American got rid of their SPs in 1994
Then I thought of World Airways. Most were converted to freighters towards the end but they were operating passenger flights for the military and chartered flights weren't they?
Are we counting them?
No we're not counting them as that would be severe thread drift!
1994 was 24 years ago and irrelevant to this topic as the B747 was in passenger operation with several US airlines long after that.
World Airways had disposed of their passenger B747's by the early 1980's of which they had three examples with the first being delivered in 1971.
World Airways never operated any passenger B747s when they closed down on 27 March 2014. At the time that the airline ceased trading the fleet consisted of two B744 BDSF freighters and seven MD11F all purchased second hand and not converted for World Airways.
Going backwards regarding US airlines ending passenger operations with Boeing 747 it appears to look like this although Atlas Air (Sonair) currently have two B744 passenger variants in service.
Delta (absorbed from Northwest) 2018
United 2017
Northwest (absorbed into the Delta fleet) 2009
TWA (Bankruptcy) 2001
Continental 2001
America West 1992
Pan Am (bankruptcy) 1991
Tower Air (Bankruptcy) 2000
PeopleExpress (absorbed into Continental fleet) 1987
National Airlines (bankruptcy) 1986
TransAmerica (airline didn't file for bankruptcy it ceased trading as such) 1986
Global International Airways (Bankruptcy) 1984
Metro International (Bankruptcy) 1983
Braniff (Bankruptcy) 1982
World Airways 1981 (sold)
And before that the original B741's of Delta, Eastern, National that only lasted a couple of years in service with those airlines during the early 1970's.
I appreciate it if anyone can confirm that I have listed it correctly and add any I have missed.
Re: Question about US passenger 747s...
I forgot to add
American Airlines originally had 16 Boeing 741 delivered new from 1971 although half of those had either been sold or converted to freighters when the final passenger version left the fleet in 1984.
American Airlines later went on to obtain two former TWA 747SP in 1991 after a route swap that meant American gaining access to LHR for the first time replacing TWA as the second US airline to be permitted to fly from LHR alongside United Airlines who had shortly before had made a similar deal with Pan Am.
The two Boeing 747SP's were in service with American Airlines from 1991 till 1994 so that would make American Airlines sixth on my list in my previous post.
American Airlines originally had 16 Boeing 741 delivered new from 1971 although half of those had either been sold or converted to freighters when the final passenger version left the fleet in 1984.
American Airlines later went on to obtain two former TWA 747SP in 1991 after a route swap that meant American gaining access to LHR for the first time replacing TWA as the second US airline to be permitted to fly from LHR alongside United Airlines who had shortly before had made a similar deal with Pan Am.
The two Boeing 747SP's were in service with American Airlines from 1991 till 1994 so that would make American Airlines sixth on my list in my previous post.