Europes oldest active airframe(s)

[Leftofcentre2009]

Just wondering out of interest what is the oldest airframe in europe that is still in passenger use?

Ive searched the net and can only find info on the US military??

Anybody care to participate in this are of interest? Airline/type/reg would be most useful.

I used to enjoy watching and occasionaly traveling on the Tristar with LTU to the Balearics a few years ago. Think they were all scrapped after the airlines demise though.

[davidjohnson6]

Not perfect, but you might like to have a start at
http://www.airfleets.net/

[Torque Tonight]

Well these fit your definition of an old airframe in Europe still in passenger use. I couldn't say if they are the oldest but they must be up there.

de Havilland Dragon Rapide (http://www.duxfordflying.co.uk/index.php?pageid=588)

These were built in 1945 but it's a 1934 design.

[Leftofcentre2009]

Interesting website. Thanks :ok:

[DaveReidUK]

still in passenger useIf you mean still flying on scheduled passenger services, then I suspect the answer will be younger than you might think.

[Leftofcentre2009]

yes i have been searching 747 classics, Tristars, DC10s, 737 classics and even the 727 & BAC1-11 :sad:

It would appear that non exist in regular passenger schedules anymore though. :(

[Laarbruch72]

Jet2's fleet consists largely of 737 classics, although they're 300s and by classic you might be referring to 200s... if so there are a couple of 200s in use in Slovakia or Slovenia I think, can't remember which.
My own bet is that some of the MD80s knocking around have to be up there somewhere in terms of oldest regular pax carrying aircraft in the EU.
I half wondered if someone in the former eastern European countries was still using TU154 or IL62s but I can't find any within the EU.

[davidjohnson6]

Belavia might have a Tu-154 knocking around at Minsk...

[RevMan2]

If we're not talking scheduled passenger services, this one (http://www.dlbs.de/en/index.php) should be in with a chance

[The SSK]

JAT's oldest 737s are 1985, as are the 3 oldest SAS MD80s. Jet2 has several 737s of 1986 vintage.

[Leftofcentre2009]

Ah the Lockheed Superstar! Now that would be some flight of nostalgia.

Had the pleasure of flying on a Jet2 757 earlier this year. Was okay although not sure about the minimalist Recaro seating. The tray tables are a joke!

Do KLM still have the DC10s/MD11s? And if so, do they still have Flight Engineers??

It wasnt that long ago i remember seeing Tristars landing at Heathrow. Caribbean airline of some sorts - cant remember the name.

Also some Balkan thing carving its own hole in the ozone layer along with a carbon footprint the size of King Kong.

Interesting stuff all the same.

There must be some 747 classics knocking about no? Maybe adhoc charters? I remember seeing a 747SP at Dublin maybe last year? Now they are odd looking.

[radeng]

there were 3 or 4 TU154s at Minsk last year. If they had been ships, they would have been described as 'laid up in ordinary' - covers on engines, parked off to one side and probably not used for some time, looking rather dirty.

They probably don't count as 'active airframes' though.

[AdamFrisch]

I flew with Malev just a couple of years ago from Heathrow, and the 737 that rocked up had the old narrow low by-pass nacelles that looked liked tubes. They must have stopped making them like that in the early to mid 80's.

[Smoketrails]

That was probably the Aviogenex YU-ANP, she has been used by a number of operators the last couple of years. JAT still uses her often. Funny thing is, is that she is actually younger than some of JAT's 733's!

[Avionker]

Loganair might have a couple of contenders. A 1980 vintage Twin Otter and a 1984 Islander. G-BZFP and G-BLDV respectively.

[Mr Mac]

Just arrived in Palma on a 757 from LBA which I beleive started life in late 1980,s according to crew and showed it in parts.

[ExXB]

On Boeing aircraft there is a small plaque in the boarding door-frame. Look up as you enter. It has the manufacture date. Not many crews even know it is there.

[ajdm]

I'm a regular on Aurigny's Trislander fleet, the oldest of which dates from 1975 I believe.

Will be a sad day when they're retired.

[Leftofcentre2009]

757 from LBA

Jet2 by any chance?? :)

[DaveReidUK]

I'm a regular on Aurigny's Trislander fleet, the oldest of which dates from 1975 I believe.Indeed it does - both G-RLON (1008) and G-JOEY (1016) are 1975-vintage, both with around 30,000 hours and doubtless many more landings.

So the Trislander looks to be the front-runner so far, for an aircraft operating scheduled passenger services.

Unless anyone knows otherwise ... ?

[Mr Mac]

EXxb & Leftofcenter2009
I know about builders plate on Boeing a/c but thanks for comment and it was a Jet 2 757 from LBA which suffered 1.5 hr tech del last week. Quite an experiance as I just got back from East Africa with a midd east carrier in Business Class so quite a change in 48hrs but Jet 2 was a cheap flight !!. Not impressed with LBA however, a bit tired looking I thought.

[Leftofcentre2009]

What route do they fly on?

Ive flown on a few Islanders over the years - Skybus from Lands End to St Marys, St Maarten to Anguilla. never a Trislander though.

[ajdm]

They do all the inter-island routes plus ACI-SOU & GCI-DNR

[AN2 Driver]

When it comes to the oldest passenger planes on an AOC, I'd think that one would go to Ju-Air of Dübendorf, who fly 4 original JU-52-3M's in original configuration from the last 1930ties.


For scheduled services, I reckon Aviogenex/JAT's 737-200 would be a contender (YU-ANP).

[rgsaero]

One of the JU52s was based at White Waltham for a time a month or so ago. Frequently visible over and around London at quite low level - they never did fly very high!

I think Air Atlantique may have a DC3 or two available for ad hoc passenger work.

[DaveReidUK]

For scheduled services, I reckon Aviogenex/JAT's 737-200 would be a contender (YU-ANP).No. See above.

Currently Aurigny's Trislanders are still the front-runners (1975). They are due to be retired next year, though.

[MidlandDeltic]

Loganair might have a couple of contenders. A 1980 vintage Twin Otter and a 1984 Islander. G-BZFP and G-BLDV respectively.

Aer Arann Islands can beat that - EI-AYN dates from 1974. Aer Lingus also has EI-ABI, DH-84 Dragon that does occasional ad-hoc passenger work.

MD

[WHBM]

I half wondered if someone in the former eastern European countries was still using TU154 or IL62s but I can't find any within the EU.
There are still quite a number of Tu154s around in various Russian fleets (European Russia is of course the largest European country both by population and by area), although the Il62 has gone from passenger service. Sometimes not realised is that both these types were built right up to the end of Soviet times and beyond, and thus some are more modern than various A320s or even 777s. The last Tu154 I flew in was built in 1998. Most Russian fleets have mainly replaced them with A320s and 737s, but there are still a few to be seen around.