The Boeing 757s still in service are the oldest

It’s been a while since we examined the world’s  oldest active Boeing 747s; Now it’s time to examine the Boeing 757. Although we consider the twinjet an unusual aircraft these days, according to ch-aviation.com 515 of the 1,050 built are still in use! Which, however, are the oldest?

Despite being one of the oldest aircraft still in operation, the Boeing 757 is still in use today with many airlines around the world. The 757, which debuted in the early 1980s, became a versatile workhorse for medium- to long-haul flights and was noted for both its performance and range. Many airlines have been phasing out their older 757s over the past few years due to a number of considerations, including increased maintenance costs, fuel economy concerns and the arrival of new types of aircraft with advanced technology.

Nevertheless, many airlines still fly the 757, often on routes well suited to its size and range. These aircraft are used on routes throughout North America and are generally designed to carry various passenger capacities.

The oldest active Boeing 757s have interesting roles

Amazingly, N757A, the first Boeing 757 to roll off the production line, is still in service today. Even though it is 41.48 years old as of this writing, Boeing still uses the aircraft as a testbed. The pilot claimed that fighter jet avionics and sensors were being tested on the plane. As a result, when you look at the plane, you’ll notice that it has quite a bit more equipment than a standard 757.

Ironically, the second-oldest Boeing 757 still in operation is the second model ever. The 41.38-year-old N144DC is not used as a testbed but serves an interesting and unique purpose. According to ch-aviation.com, Starflight International is actually operating former Eastern Air Lines aircraft for the CIA!

Among the first-ever Boeing 757-200s produced, Honeywell Aviation Services’ N757HW, serial number five, is third on the list. Being a testing ground for the latest aviation technology, these former Eastern Air Lines and MyTravel Airways aircraft have a distinct appearance from other 757 aircraft, as shown in the photo above.

Veteran freighters

With the exception of these three aircraft, most of the Boeing 757s in operation are in the air cargo industry. This is due to the fact that cargo carriers typically use older aircraft, as Simple Flying examined in an essay published in 2020. Currently, the 757-200SF operated by FedEx Express is the oldest operational Boeing 757 freighter.

The 40.45-year-old veteran, registered as N935FD, was only the 15th Boeing 757 ever. It flew people for UK airline Monarch Airlines for the first 25 years of its existence, before being modified to transport cargo. 38.45-year-old N936FD is another veteran 757-200SF that serves FedEx Express.

In the age range of these two FedEx Express aircraft is 5Y-SHJ, a Boeing 757-200PCF registered 38.73 years old, operated by Astral Aviation, a cargo airline based in Kenya. Prior to its conversion, the aircraft was operated by Delta Air Lines as a passenger aircraft from 1984 to 2008. According to FlightRadar24.com, it primarily travels in Africa, however it was recently in Tel Aviv, Israel.

What about passenger-carrying examples?

The planes we’ve seen so far are certainly attractive, but they also aren’t the kind of planes that regular people can fly on. With the exception of the 37.17-year-old VIP 757-200 that Berkut operates for the Kazakhstan government (UP-B5701), Jet2 is home to the oldest operational 757s in the category.

This 35.85-year-old Boeing 757-200, registered as G-LSAI, was initially flown by China Southern Airlines for 19 years until it was acquired by a UK leisure airline in 2006. The 235-seat all-economy twinjet, which is still in operation and based at Manchester Airport (MAN), takes tourists to destinations in Greece, Spain and Turkey.

READ | 5 interesting facts about the Boeing 720

READ | The Boeing 747 was taken out of service

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