What Airlines has the oldest and most rundown planes?
Dec 31, 2006, 5:08 am
#1
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 799
What Airlines has the oldest and most rundown planes?
I know an Airplane can last a long time if there is proper maintenance but old is old, and the flyer can usually tell. I wonder what Airline is known as having the oldest fleet in the sky. And which one has the newest.
Dec 31, 2006, 5:29 am
#2
formerly known as 2lovelife
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: ORF : UA_Premier_Gold4Life, Bonvoy_titanium, Accor_Plat
Posts: 6,952
I gotta say those Air Canada 767s seem pretty old. Seat's falling apart and missing peices.
Heck, in the last few months, I've flown AZ 767, OZ 767, and AC 767. They all seem like dinosaur cabins.
Heck, in the last few months, I've flown AZ 767, OZ 767, and AC 767. They all seem like dinosaur cabins.
Dec 31, 2006, 5:37 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: UAL1K 2MM UGS, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,004
In North America at lest, it gotta be Aloha.
Their interisland fleet is all 30+ year old 737-200's.
After the 'sunroof' incident they went through and added a few hundred rivets and some external "shielding" to hold the things together. It's easy to take aircraft safety for granted until you've ridden on one of these bulletproof wonders.
You knew exactly how bad it was a few years ago when they got all excited about getting some 'new' -200's into the fleet. These ended up being someone elses very tired hulls which were still ~25 years old.
Lihue1k
After the 'sunroof' incident they went through and added a few hundred rivets and some external "shielding" to hold the things together. It's easy to take aircraft safety for granted until you've ridden on one of these bulletproof wonders.
You knew exactly how bad it was a few years ago when they got all excited about getting some 'new' -200's into the fleet. These ended up being someone elses very tired hulls which were still ~25 years old.
Lihue1k
Dec 31, 2006, 5:52 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: SZX/HKG/BWI
Programs: UA 1K 1.1MM, CX Diam 1.0MM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC, MGM Pearl
Posts: 2,637
I'm scared to sit in some NW Dc-9s. There was a whole piece on Republic Airlines further reinforcing my fear of those planes. Plus on those flights, I always find something wrong with my seat, or another seat and sometimes the old Republic insignia downright messes with me.
JAA (Japan Asia Airways) had one 747-200 that was so old that the pressurized air in the cabin led some to complain of severe earaches during landing. Whether those two were linked were to be seen but when I talked with an FA, she apologized for the "age of the aircraft."
JAA (Japan Asia Airways) had one 747-200 that was so old that the pressurized air in the cabin led some to complain of severe earaches during landing. Whether those two were linked were to be seen but when I talked with an FA, she apologized for the "age of the aircraft."
Dec 31, 2006, 7:52 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DCA
Programs: AMC MovieWatcher, Giant BonusCard, Petco PALS Card, Silver Diner Blue Plate Club
Posts: 22,297
Saha Air still operates Boeing 707s
Ariana Afghan flies an Antonov An-24 (at least they did - and their website still shows it - but I have some vague memory that it was being retired -- in any case China Southern still operates them)
For that matter, hundreds of Tupolev Tu-134 still operate.
But if you want to find some old aircraft just check out the myriad African carriers.
Ariana Afghan flies an Antonov An-24 (at least they did - and their website still shows it - but I have some vague memory that it was being retired -- in any case China Southern still operates them)
For that matter, hundreds of Tupolev Tu-134 still operate.
But if you want to find some old aircraft just check out the myriad African carriers.
Dec 31, 2006, 9:29 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Princeton, NJ; Lviv Ukraine
Programs: UA 3.6MM, AF/KL Lifetime Plat, BA Gold, AA 1MM, IC Spire RA, Kimpton IC, Marriott Plat, et alia
Posts: 2,732
While I agree that NW has the rattiest-looking planes (and service), they are only in the middle of the pack when it comes to the major carriers (CO the best, AA the worst) in terms of age. Of course some new carriers such as JetBlue are way under age.
Average Fleet Age for Selected U.S. Carriers
The following estimated average fleet ages for selected U.S. is based on data provided by AirFleets.net. An aircraft's age is based on the number of years since the aircraft's production.
Airline Average Age Fleet Size
AirTran 3.7 108
Alaska 10.0 110
Aloha 15.4 19
America West 11.9 108
American 13.3 699
American Eagle 5.3 267
ATA 6.6 25
Continental 8.5 356
Delta 13.1 434
Horizon 5.6 67
JetBlue 2.8 97
Midwest 9.3 35
Northwest 10.8 266
Southwest 9.4 445
United 11.7 401
USAirways 10.4 248
Last Update: April 2006
Average Fleet Age for Selected U.S. Carriers
The following estimated average fleet ages for selected U.S. is based on data provided by AirFleets.net. An aircraft's age is based on the number of years since the aircraft's production.
Airline Average Age Fleet Size
AirTran 3.7 108
Alaska 10.0 110
Aloha 15.4 19
America West 11.9 108
American 13.3 699
American Eagle 5.3 267
ATA 6.6 25
Continental 8.5 356
Delta 13.1 434
Horizon 5.6 67
JetBlue 2.8 97
Midwest 9.3 35
Northwest 10.8 266
Southwest 9.4 445
United 11.7 401
USAirways 10.4 248
Last Update: April 2006
Dec 31, 2006, 1:34 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Honolulu, Hawaiʻi [+MKK4 EBBER R577 EDSEL R577 ELKEY EXERT]
Posts: 15,826
Defintely Aloha. Throw in all that salt water that further corrodes the metal, and a very high frequency of flights in one day, and you've got a flying deathtrap. 
Dec 31, 2006, 1:39 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Spain LPA/OVD
Programs: Iberia Platinum
Posts: 185
this site it's quite useful to know about fleet age
http://www.airfleets.net/home/index.php
IB has a fleet that it's 8.1 years old and mainly because of the MD 80 that they still fly
http://www.airfleets.net/home/index.php
IB has a fleet that it's 8.1 years old and mainly because of the MD 80 that they still fly
Dec 31, 2006, 1:44 pm
#13
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,476
Here's a contender for the oldest overall fleet :
http://www.classicflight.com/
Everything about 50 years old or more, leaving all those mentioned above way behind.
The DC-3 is 1930s and the Twin Pioneer is 1950s. I've been in both, immaculately maintained and fascinating to ride in.
What on earth makes some think that age of the airframe is any concern ? I once in the same week went in a recent Virgin Atlantic B747-400 with an already decidedly tatty/torn/broken interior, and a British Airways 757 retired days later whose interior was immaculate.
http://www.classicflight.com/
Everything about 50 years old or more, leaving all those mentioned above way behind.
The DC-3 is 1930s and the Twin Pioneer is 1950s. I've been in both, immaculately maintained and fascinating to ride in.
What on earth makes some think that age of the airframe is any concern ? I once in the same week went in a recent Virgin Atlantic B747-400 with an already decidedly tatty/torn/broken interior, and a British Airways 757 retired days later whose interior was immaculate.
Dec 31, 2006, 6:32 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,227
But that's the difference between VS and BA.
BA win hands down every time.
BA win hands down every time.
Here's a contender for the oldest overall fleet :
http://www.classicflight.com/
Everything about 50 years old or more, leaving all those mentioned above way behind.
The DC-3 is 1930s and the Twin Pioneer is 1950s. I've been in both, immaculately maintained and fascinating to ride in.
What on earth makes some think that age of the airframe is any concern ? I once in the same week went in a recent Virgin Atlantic B747-400 with an already decidedly tatty/torn/broken interior, and a British Airways 757 retired days later whose interior was immaculate.
http://www.classicflight.com/
Everything about 50 years old or more, leaving all those mentioned above way behind.
The DC-3 is 1930s and the Twin Pioneer is 1950s. I've been in both, immaculately maintained and fascinating to ride in.
What on earth makes some think that age of the airframe is any concern ? I once in the same week went in a recent Virgin Atlantic B747-400 with an already decidedly tatty/torn/broken interior, and a British Airways 757 retired days later whose interior was immaculate.