Boeing 727 Holiday jets.
 

Boeing 727 100/200 Holiday jets.

Going on from Mooncrests Boeing 737-200 Holiday jets thread I thought that a similar one regarding the Boeing 727 during the same period would also be interesting.

I have combined the Boeing 727-100 and Boeing 727-200 series as neither of which were flown by many European charter airlines during the 1980's.

There were several European charter airlines operating the Boeing 727 on European holiday/charter flights during the 1980's along with the mainstream European scheduled airline's and in particular national flag carriers.

The following airlines operated Boeing 727-100 and Boeing 727-200 on European holiday/charter flights during the 1980's.

CHARTER AIRLINES

Air Atlantis
Air Charter International
Air Columbus Boeing 727-100/200)
Air Yugoslavia
Aviogenex
Condor (Boeing 727-100/200)
Dan Air (Boeing 727-100/200)
Hapag Lloyd (Boeing 727-100/200)
Sobelair (Boeing 727-100)
Sterling Airlines
​​​Transair Sweden (Boeing 727-100)

SCHEDULED AIRLINES (operating charters/holiday flights)

Air Malta (leased two Boeing 727-200 for two years)
Iberia
JAT Yugoslav Airlines
Lufthansa (operating on behalf of Condor) (Boeing 727-100/200)
Pan Am (Boeing 727-100)
Sabena (operating on behalf of Sobelair) (Boeing 727-100/200)
TAP Air Portugal (Boeing 727-100/200)

Air France, Alitalia, Olympic Airways, Royal Air Moroc and Tunisair may also have operated charter/holiday flights from their respected countries with their Boeing 727-200's during the 1980's.

I'm sure that I have missed a few other airline's that operated the Boeing 727-100/200 on European charter/holiday flights during the 1980's.

Looking forward to reading other members contributions.

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Another hard one after the initial list but how about

toros air - turkey

lineas areas canaries - one leased for a summer.

Thanks for those two additional Boeing 727 operator's.

Another airline that operated Boeing 727-200's during the 1980's was the French charter airline Europe Aero Service.

Icelandair had a few Boeing 727-100's in their fleet during the 1980's that flew charter flights from Reykjavik (Keflavik) to the Canary Islands and Mediterranean resorts along with the airline's scheduled flights.

In comparison to the Boeing 737-200 there were far less charter/holiday airlines/operator's of the Boeing 727 series in Europe during the 1980's although the national flag carriers such as Air France, Alitalia, Iberia and Lufthansa had considerable fleets.

Air Atlantis
SAT Flug
Wardair - I never saw it but their single 727 apparently spent a lot of time in Europe.

American Trans Air - operated for either Air 2000 or Paramount.

air Holland

The 727 wasn't really very suitable for European operations - whereas the 737 was perfect.

For along time you were much likelier to fly a 737 in Europe than in the USA

I know the 727 (CF-FUN) operated charter flights between Gatwick and Canada, but where was the tech stop? I assume Goose Bay, but could also have been Halifax or St Johns. Were there any occasions where freak weather permitted a non stop from LGR to YYZ?

Plus of course -22 N284AT which did a brief few months with British Airways. There are pictures on the airliners site of it at both LGW and JER in the summer months of 1988, so no doubt the odd tourist or two on board.

I flew Dan-Air 727-212, G-BHVT, in September 1980, LGW-KOS-LGW. Naturally in those days aeroplane mad kids were always welcome in the cockpit and I always remember the delightful flight crew who indulged the then 15 year old self on the LGW-KOS flight with a wonderful chat about their new toy. So new in fact, the Singapore Airlines paint scheme was still evident in parts outside, as was the registration brass bearing 9V-SGC mounted on the instrument panel.

Asturias, what made the 727 less fitting for European routes?

As someone else above has said, it operated into LGW, I saw it there on a few occasions back in the day. It 'might' also have done rotations to Lahr in Germany to ferry RCAF families/visitors through Gatwick back to Canada.

I flew in Hapag-Lloyd and Condor 727's from Germany to the Canary Islands and they always seemed to be very spick and span compared to other airlines.

Was that the 727 that once threatened to make an appearance at LBA pre extension? There was a large press turnout, but apparently it diverted as the winds weren't favourable? Early 80's perhaps.

Not early 80's - long gone by then. Was a regular in MAN as well as LGW in the early 70's. Also, American Flyers?

EAS and Bellair of France

Irish operator Club Air, an offshoot of Club Travel, operated a total of three leased 727s in the 1987-1989 period, though never more than two at any one time IIRC.

Not a charter flight, but I remember the Ariana Afgan 727 that crashed at Fernhill just short of Gatwick's runway 26 on 5th Jan 1969.

Dan Air were scheduled as well as charter

Wardair operated a single Boeing 727-11 registered CF-FUN and named "CY BECKER". It was delivered fresh from Boeing in April 1966 and was withdrawn from Wardair service in February 1973.

CF-FUN was the first Boeing 727 on the Canadian registry and the first jet aircraft delivered to Wardair.

Wardair Boeing 727-11 CF-FUN operated transatlantic flights with a refueling stop in Gander, Newfoundland. CF-FUN also had additional fuel tanks fitted factory fresh for the transatlantic flights.

Dan Air was a hybrid charter/scheduled airline but it wasn't until the demise of Air Europe in 1991 that the airline changed direction towards being a major scheduled airline. It wasn't until March 1991 that Dan Air used their fleet of Boeing 727-100/200 on fully fledged schedule service. Up until March 1991 Dan Air used their fleet of Boeing 727's purely on charter work.

Even though Dan Air was a hybrid charter/scheduled airline it was and will always be remembered as a charter airline which up until March 1991 was their main form of business.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d21e3c74af.jpg
American Flyers Boeing 727-35C N2826 at London Gatwick Airport on the the 30 August 1969. American Flyers operated two Boeing 727-100's up until 1971 and made history by being the first airframes of the 727 type to operate transatlantic flights from mainland USA to London Gatwick and Manchester and Frankfurt, Germany. American Flyers was taken over by Universal Airlines on the 25 May 1971. Universal Airlines was taken over by Saturn Airways in 1972. Saturn Airways was taken over by TIA in 1976.

American Flyers two Boeing 727-35C aircraft had ceased operating transatlantic flights in 1971.

Wardair's single Boeing 727-11 aircraft had ceased operating transatlantic flights in 1973 after it was withdrawn from the airline's service.

​​​​​​I had already listed EAS Europe Aero Service in my earlier post number 3.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f5baa476e7.jpg
American Trans Air Boeing 727-22 N284AT on approach to London Gatwick Airport in the summer of 1988 whilst on charter to British Airways.

Thanks for putting that picture up Sean....very pretty aeroplane

On the big brother 737 thread it has been confirmed that the Pan Am 737's ran charters at weekends, in particular to Palma from Berlin. Anyone recall if the Euro based 727's of TWA, United and Delta had similar bucket and spade outings? I note Pan Am was on the starter list.

The Wardair B727 CF-FUN often used Kangerlussuaq (BGSF) in Greenland as a tach stop.

arrived In Dubrovnik on a JAT charter in 1989 and parked next to a Pan Am 727. Not sure if charter or schedule though.

We actually went in it in 1968, Gatwick-Sondrestrom (Greenland)-Vancouver. I've written about it here in the past so won't repeat that. It spent the summer on Transatlantic work and the winter on flights like Vancouver to Acapulco. It spent most of its time in western Canada; Wardair's base was in Edmonton, they started off becoming known in Vancouver/Calgary/Edmonton, and only later moved into the Toronto market, especially that year when it was their first jet. With refuelling each way it couldn't quite make round transatlantic trips within 24 hours, but would do two or three days together. Definitely a holiday jet. Apart from Gatwick, and a few times a year at Manchester or Prestwick, Amsterdam seemed their other destination, and if they had any spare time in Europe they put themselves straight in the hands of a broker for any sudden subcharters - if they turned up in the Med, that's what they were doing.

Probably not many here who have been to Greenland. A few years ago on a December BA 744 Heathrow-Vancouver I could see we were going to route directly over Sondrestrom, presumably a beacon there. Looking down, eventually there it was, about five lights in the winter darkness.

Air Holland - Lineas Aeraes Canairies - Germania
Also recall an Aerolineas Argentina 727 operating in Europe
Air Algeria
Air Slovakia
Torosair
Istanbul Airlines
Air Malta - leased from peru
Nomads 727
Cyprus Turkish Airlines
Abatros
Air Alfa
Talia
Noble Air
Sultan Air
Baltic Air
Air Atlantis

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....39ba3f9c6c.jpg

Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 727-287 LV-MIM was originally chartered by the Irish operator Talia but was sub chartered by Lineas Aereas Canaries on the 15 May 1988.

The Irish operator Club Air certainly had an extremely hybrid livery on their former Eastern Airlines Boeing 727-225. As well as holiday flights Club Air operated a Luton to Dublin route on behalf of Virgin Atlantic in the late eighties with the Boeing 727-225.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....36c54edfa6.jpg

A particularly sad moment. Air Malta developed a procedure of chartering in medium-term each summer season from a variety of operators, they had several 727s, from JAT, American Trans Air, etc, in 1990 it was Faucett from Peru who sent over a 727-200 for 6 months. At the end of the season they set off home with their establishment, they had supplied several crews, flight deck and cabin, and engineering, some of whom had taken families. Routing through Keflavik, they were overdue at Gander and last heard of with a Mayday that they were out of fuel over the Atlantic and preparing to ditch. Nothing heard of them again. Not equipped with over-ocean navigation of course.

I've only just learnt about this incident as Wikipedia has a page dedicated to it, very sad indeed.

Faucett Peru Boeing 727-247 OB-1303 ran out of fuel and lost communication and crashed 180 miles southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland, Canada on the 11 September 1991.

On a side note....Exactly ten years later to the day an event that changed the world occurred.

Here's a photo of the aircraft in question... Faucett Peru Boeing 727-247 OB-1303.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e80ff092b6.jpg
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We seem to be missing Sabre and Cougar aviation.

The loss of the Faucett Peru 727 occurred in 1990, so eleven years before 9/11.

Faucett/Air Malta - what a dreadful story.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s there was a 727-200 lying semi derelict to the east of the runway at Corfu. It had either overrun or left the runway and ended up in the "lagoon" beside the runway. I think it was even supported by oil barrels.

Some while after I first saw it there, it was recovered, repaired and returned to service with Dan-Air. It was distinctive because it had a 4 metre (or so) brace on the top of the fuselage from just behind the crown point to about abeam the leading edge. Apparently a support for where the aircraft had broken its back. The repair was probably a lot more sophisticated then my schoolboy interpretation, but nevertheless I believe it did many years of sterling service once it was back in action.

Could it have been G-BMLP?

Saw it because at the time I was flying that other icon of the IT holiday charter market - the 737-200 for a UK airline.

The 'humped back' 727 that Dan Air operated was indeed G-BMLP, but apparently the hump was an ADF aeriel/air-con ducting flairing, not a repair.
Thread about it here:-
https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=418899

Boeing 727 users
 

From feb 1978 until Oct 1980 I was working near Oran in Algeria and used to fly back to london every six weeks via Marseille or Geneva etc and flew in many 727s of Air Algerie.

early 727 charter ops
 

Someone here said the The 727 wasn't really very suitable for European operations - whereas the 737 was perfect.

Well the 727 came first in the mid 1960's and both the Germans (Condor) and the Swedes (Transair Sweden) loved them for their comfort 131 pax, and the long legs to have the range to fly to the Canary Islands non-stop, also Icelandic used their 727's too.

Dan Air in 1973 got some 727-100's (3 at first, then soon 5 then 8) and added some extra aft doors and put in 146 pax (5 of the 727 had this mod)
This was the start of their Comet replacement on Dan's longer routes, basing the 727 at LGW, MAN, and also at Berlin TXL for the German IT market.

Re long legs - Into LGW from 1966 onwards saw the new 727 of Wardair crossing the pond followed by World AW, AFA and TIA all on Affinity Group charters.
Wardair fuelled up in Greenland or Iceland, sometimes SNN and I gather the odd non-stop made it to PIK>?
Wardair's 727 had 117 seats. I flew on it Summer 1972 from Dubrovnik to LGW operating a Sub charter for a BCAL 1-11 500.

Sterling AW in the late 1970's ordered the latest 189 seat 727-200ADV HGW with -17 engines (The heaviest 727's ever built) and added extra fuel tanks aft where Boeing then added an extra (3rd) hold door for the rear bags to go in.
Sterling used them non-stop to the Canary Islands of course, and to the USA and Canada, plus down to Mombasa, the Maldives, Ceylon and Thailand.
Sterling were also the first 727 airline to opt for the Valsan Super Silent 727 RE package and had 2 aircraft modified.

Dan Air standardised their charter fleet with the 727-200, their 189 seat aircraft used as far as TLV and Eilat/Ovda.
Dan Air never normally used the 727 for their scheduled routes.

Of course in the 1970's many UK and German airlines were flying the BAC 1-11 300/400 and 500, but were not finding it suitable for longer holiday routes like Greece and the Canary Islands, and this is where the 737-200, especially when the ADV versions came along and the 737 won hands down, leading to new start up airlines like Air Europe and Orion buying brand new fleets.
Although even back then Paninternational of Germany flew their 1-11 500's to Mombasa.
Other airlines were flying a bunch of older jets like the 707/720 DC-8 and CV990, cheap to buy, plenty of seats, but soon to their cost found them too expensive to run causing many Charter airlines to fold.

Sterling Airways - Trivia

Their 727's flew their main routes to Southern Europe, but also to San Francisco, Miami and Toronto as well from Copenhagen. The SFO trip may have included 3 stops, Keflavik, Bangor or Iqaluit and Omaha.
The 20 hour trip in a seat with a pitch of 29-30 inches plus a non-stop duty free bar was just one of the incredibly popular trips that made Sterling an icon of the Nordic region.
Boeing saw what Sterling were trying to do, but also saw a way to advertise the advances that Boeing was making with the continued development of the 727.

The Advanced 727's for Sterling were the highest gross weight 727's ever built, with an MTOW of 208,000lbs using JT8D-17 engines and seating for up to 189 passengers.

By 1987 the airline was celebrating it's 25th Anniversary, and was one of Europe's largest charter company.
While most routes were shorter flights to Southern Europe, one of the airlines most popular routes was from Oslo to Gran Canarias some 2,270nm making it the longest direct 727 flight, all with six flight attendants serving 189 passengers with literally tonnes of drinks and duty free both on the outbound, and also before arriving back in Copenhagen.

Sterling was the launch customer for the Valsan Silent 727 modification in 1988 and also home to the European centre where other 727's were re-engined and modified.

Super 27 - Silent 727
Speed increased by 50 mph, due to replacement of the two side engines with the JT8D-217 used on MD-80, along with the addition of a hush kit to the centre engine. Winglets were added to some of aircraft to increase fuel efficiency by 5%. This modification was originally developed by Valsan Partners, but was later marketed by Quiet Wing Technologies.

The Valsan program was intended to make 727-200s compliant with the Stage 3 noise rules. The outer (#1 and #3) JT8D-9 -17s are replaced with JT8D-217s, which have a higher bypass ratio and are quieter. The centre (#2) engine, being buried in the tailcone, could not be easily replaced, so instead it looses its thrust reverser and gets an internal (bypass/core) mixer, to lower its noise signature.
The first modified aircraft, for Sterling Airways of Denmark, re-entered service in October 1988.

Not a repair, although the aircraft was seriously damaged with its initial owner Mexicana and was sold off afterwards. It operated for a couple of other carriers before Dan-Air got it. All Mexicana's 727s were like this as they fitted JATO assistance bottles under the fuselage in case of hot/high engine failure departing from Mexico City, and the various services from that area had to be relocated, hence the hump. Mexicana kept most of their 727s for the full duration, so the others were not seen in Europe. After Dan-Air it moved on elsewhere and eventually was converted to a freighter. Various other Mexican operators did other modifications to deal with the high elevation as well; DC-10s there were a special DC-10-15 hybrid, with the intermediate DC-10-10 structure etc but the long-haul DC-10-30 larger engines.

Both Wardair's and American Flyers 727s were also quite common at Glasgow (Abbotsinch not Prestwick) for a while.

I flew on a Mexicana 727 from Puerto Escondido to Mexico City in 1989, would that have had JATO bottle fitted ? Also I did a few flights on PanAm 727's between JFK and MIA in 1993, would these have been the ones used in Germany back in the day, or later variants ? They were in full PanAm regalia internally and externally.

I believe all the Mexicana 727-200s had it. They were more marginal than the original model. Mexicana had both.

Pan Am shut down in December 1991, and the various reincarnations that came and went were not running in 1993, so I guess this refers to a former Pan Am aircraft. It's a chance that it had been in the Berlin fleet. Back in the 1970s Pan Am's 727 fleet was about half and half between Berlin and Miami, maybe a dozen each, with about another three up to 1975 also at Bangkok whence they operated military charters into Vietnam (obviously not after the fall). The two fleets did periodic exchanges, which is how they turned up occasionally transiting Prestwick or Shannon. But after 1980 National Airlines was merged in, including the route you were on, which brought their own substantial 727 fleet into Pan Am. Furthermore Pan Am then brought various secondhand aircraft in addition. They gave up in Berlin in 1990, shortly after the Wall fell there, and the fleet returned to the USA, although in the final years it was pretty much 737s (secondhand and often looking decidedly down-at-heel, plus a couple of A300s. But 737s are over in the other thread !