Oldest plane in service

[yyebo]

Hi Guys,

I've just found there's oldest plane still in service (not for sale) is 33.6 years old!

I thought any plane over 25years will be scrapped?


no offence to this airline operator

[swiftus27]

Hey, there are some caribbean airlines using DC3s.....  Yes, the same planes that dropped troops in Normandy.

[Powi]

Scrapping old planes is always optional.

[EGJB]

Nothing unrealistic - the average age of my local airline's Trislander fleet is over 30 years old.

They even conducted a review a couple of years ago to find a replacement but decided to stick with them as there isn't anything suitable. They don't build them like they used to!

[Filippo]

Airliner World (magazine) photographed a DC3 belonging to "Bush Air", a cargo airline in Alaska

[NorgeFly]

Nothing unrealistic - the average age of my local airline's Trislander fleet is over 30 years old.

They even conducted a review a couple of years ago to find a replacement but decided to stick with them as there isn't anything suitable. They don't build them like they used to!

Channel Islands by any chance? Gotta love Joey!

[broadbander]

Delta inherited DC9s when they merged with Northwest Airlines, and some of those aircraft are over 40 years old! N9821E (a DC9-30) was still in service in May 2009 judging by photos on airliners.net, and it was originally delivered to Eastern Airlines in 1966!

[Sami]

The max age for planes is 35 years which after they are automatically taken off the routes.. This is because the maintenance / value / etc calculations have certain limits in the math formulas and it was decided to be 35y.. But most likely won't be ever a problem here.

[Flightman]

Oldest plane should be on airlines status page   Something new to competive :p

[swiftus27]

Delta inherited DC9s when they merged with Northwest Airlines, and some of those aircraft are over 40 years old! N9821E (a DC9-30) was still in service in May 2009 judging by photos on airliners.net, and it was originally delivered to Eastern Airlines in 1966!

My boss flew on a 9-30 out of St Louis last month. 

[ICEcoldair881]

Airliner World (magazine) photographed a DC3 belonging to "Bush Air", a cargo airline in Alaska

Buffalo Airways in NWT (north-western Canada) has a fleet of (about) 10 DC-3s. My dad flew on one, as it was a passenger flight!

He told me, that the pilot told him, that the aircraft was delivered originally in 1936 and was also used in the war, then in 1972 was converted into a commercial aircraft for Buffalo Airways.

[ukatlantic]

Nothing unrealistic - the average age of my local airline's Trislander fleet is over 30 years old.

They even conducted a review a couple of years ago to find a replacement but decided to stick with them as there isn't anything suitable. They don't build them like they used to!

Hmm The good old reliable Aurigny Trislander!  At least Aurigny have upgraded their ATR72-210's now to the 500 series on their Gatwick Route I bet more people are flying withthem now then Fly(May)Be!  The trislanders are certainly an interesting flight I've done it a number of times between Guernsey and Jersey and I dont think I've ever known Aurigny's Trislanders to go 'technical' - so as the saying goes 'If it aint broke dont fix it!' hence why they are reluctanant to replace them