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Last Chance to Fly Rare and Historic Still in Use

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Version Date: 26 August 2020

Digital Update 2020

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of specific details or content within this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, scanning, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

© 2020 Destinworld Publishing Ltd

Published by Destinworld Publishing Ltd. www.destinworld.com

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Contents

Introduction 4 Douglas DC-3/C-47 56 A300 5 Douglas DC-4 59 Airbus A310 7 Douglas DC-9 60 8 110 Bandeirante 61 9 Embraer 120 Brasilia 63 Antonov An-12 14 Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 66 Antonov An-24/26 15 50 68 Antonov An-72/74 17 70 Antonov An-140 18 72 Antonov An-148/158 19 Ford Tri-Motor 75 18 21 G-21 Goose 76 Beechcraft 99 22 Ilyushin IL-18 77 717 23 Ilyushin IL-62 78 -200 25 Ilyushin IL-76 79 Boeing 737-600 27 Ilyushin IL-96-300 80 -300 28 Let L-410 81 Boeing 747-400 29 Lisunov Li-2 85 -300 32 McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 Series 86 -200 34 89 British 146/ RJ 36 92 Jetstream 43 93 Convair 440/580 47 Tupolev Tu-134 94 DH.89 Dragon Rapide 48 Tupolev Tu-154 95 de Havilland DH.104 Dove 49 Tupolev Tu-204/214 96 de Havilland DH.114 Heron 50 Xian/AVIC MA60 97 de Havilland DHC-7 51 Yakovlev Yak-40 99 52 Yakovlev Yak-42 101 54 Gone But Not Forgotten 102

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Introduction

Welcome to the digital update of Last Chance to Fly – the enthusiast’s guide to finding and flying on rare and historic airliners around the world.

Experiencing flight on an older can be a memorable experience, particularly on aircraft which are truly historic. Even flying an aircraft type which was prevalent in our younger days but is now a rare sight can bring back great memories of the sounds and smells of a previous generation of .

Moving this book into a digital format distributed through www.AirportSpotting.com allows us to keep updates regular in the fast changing world of . The Scope of Aircraft Listed

Since the first edition of this book appeared in 2011 many classic airliners have ceased flying passengers altogether. Particularly types such as the and McDonnell Douglas MD-11. The second edition of the book in 2017 added and removed types. In the recent Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent downturn in aviation, more airliner types have become rarer, and many are now added to this digital edition of the book, first released in late 2020.

As always, our research has been thorough. Yet we accept there may be errors, and since change occurs so rapidly in the industry we cannot be held responsible for aircraft types being retired by following the book’s publication.

Updates

Please forward any updates, corrections and missing details for future editions to:

[email protected]

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Airbus A300

First flying in 1972, the A300 was the first product of the new Airbus consortium in , and one of a new range of widebody airliners emerging; in fact, it was the world’s first twin-aisle widebody airliner. The B1 was the initial design, but after only two examples the B2 became the initial standard. Quickly becoming the standard production model of the , the B4 was first flown in 1974.

Later models include the A300B4-600 which had newer engines and increased seating capacity through using part of the A310 . Most flying examples today are freighters.

Asia &

The only place to fly on an Airbus A300 now is in and Eastern Europe.

Iran Air Operates a mixed fleet of A300s, including a single historic A300B2, three A300B4-200 and four B4- 605R. Many are thought to be parked. These fly mostly domestic, Middle Eastern and occasional European routes out of ’s two airports.

Iran Air Tour Similarly, Iran Air’s subsidiary also operates four Airbus A300B4-605R aircraft on domestic routes from Tehran Mehrabad airport.

Mahan Air Still operates five Airbus A300B4-603 mostly on internal routes within Iran and occasionally to places like Dubai, UAE.

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Meraj Air Operates two A300B4-622R examples, EP-SIF and EP-SIG, on domestic routes from Tehran Mehrabad, and internationally from the Tehran IKA to .

Qeshm Air Operates five A300B4-605R examples in a very smart colour scheme, but many seem to be parked at the moment. They operate some domestic routes, and international routes to Istanbul, etc.

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Airbus A310

Paul Spijkers [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)]

Technically a variant of the A300 (the A300B10), the A310 features a shorter fuselage and tail fin, and a new design. It was offered initially in the -200 variant, with the -300 becoming standard later.

Production of the A310 ran from 1983 to 1998, during which time 255 aircraft were built. Most today fly for FedEx Express as freighters, however some examples still carry passengers.

Asia & Middle East

Ariana Afghan Airlines Not an airline we would recommend flying on, they have one active Airbus A310, YA-CAV. It flies from Kabul on domestic routes, as well as to Istanbul, Delhi, Jeddah, Riyadh and other destinations.

Iran Air Continues to operate two A310-300s on some domestic and Middle Eastern routes out of Tehran.

Mahan Air This airline has a fleet of seven A310s at the time of writing, but some are parked. They fly from Tehran’s two airports on domestic routes, as well as internationally to the likes of Beijing, , Dhaka, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen.

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Airbus A318

Few airlines now fly the Airbus A318 – the smallest member of the A320 family of aircraft. Originally envisaged as a competitor to regional jets for airlines with crews already trained on the A319/20, sales were not forthcoming at a large scale, with airlines preferring true types. They have enjoyed some success as corporate jets.

Sadly the famous BA001 route from City to New York JFK utilising an Airbus A318 has recently been retired. One of its two aircraft now flies for mostly on corporate charter work.

Europe

Air The largest operator of the type. flies its fleet of 18 A318s on scheduled services out of Paris Charles de Gaulle to domestic and European destinations.

TAROM The Romanian airline operates 4 examples from Bucharest to African and European destinations, including Amsterdam, Athens, , Frankfurt, London, , Munich and Paris.

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Airbus A340

Developed alongside the , the A340 was part of the European manufacturer’s bid to steal a chunk of the long-haul market from Boeing at a time when airlines were retiring older Lockheed L1011s and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s from service.

It was believed four engines would be more popular with passengers on long overseas flights, however changes in Extended Twin Operations (ETOPS) rules allowing twin aircraft to fly further meant the A330 (and its rivals) were always more popular than the A340, which was more expensive to operate.

Models of A340 included the original -200, closely followed by the -300.

Later, the long-range, higher capacity -500 and -600 variants entered the scene, offering a slight renaissance for the type. However, many airlines have now replaced their aircraft with newer generation twins.

A340-200

Andres Ramirez [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

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South America

ConViasa Aside from a few VIP and government examples, the only passenger operator of the A340-200 today is , based at in . Not a recommended airline to fly on, its aircraft do appear on some interesting routes, linking the wayward country with Iran and some other destinations.

Airbus A340-300

Africa

Air Madagascar Operates two A340-300s on its principal long-haul services from Antananarivo to Paris and Marseille (one is leased from Icelandic).

Air Mauritius Still flies two examples, which will imminently be replaced by A350-900s. They can usually be found linking Port Louis with Johannesburg, London, Paris and Rome.

Asia & Middle East

Iran Aseman Airlines This Iranian carrier has a single A340-300, ER-APA, which flies usually between Tehran and Istanbul.

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Kam Air An airline which has four A340-300s in its fleet. They fly from Kabul and Kandahar mostly to Middle Eastern destinations and on Hajj flights

Mahan Air Three A340-300s work alongside its -600s on routes from Tehran to Dubai, Istanbul, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, and others.

Syrianair Not one that is recommended, but included for completeness. Syrianair has two former Mahan Air and A340-300 aircraft which link Damascus with destinations in Africa and the Middle East.

Europe

Air Belgium Quite a new airline, bases its operation around four A340-300 aircraft based at Brussels Charleroi airport, flying to Fort-de-France and Pointe-a-Pitre in the , as well as on charter work for other airlines.

Edelweiss Air This Swiss subsidiary flies four A340-300s on European holiday flights and to North American, Mexican and Asian destinations.

HiFly This Portuguese contract operator has a single A340-300 which is usually leased out to other carriers or operates on charter work. It is not bookable directly.

Lufthansa The largest operator of the A340-300, has 17 examples in its fleet which fly out of Frankfurt to destinations in the USA and Asia. They are due to be replaced in the near future.

Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas A Spanish airline with a fleet of two A340-300s flying services out of Madrid to South American destinations like Bogota, Guayaquil, Quito and Lima.

SAS With four A340-300s remaining in its fleet, and most recently used on long-haul services from its main bases as , and to Asia and . They were parked at the time of writing.

Swiss International Airlines With plans to refurbish its fleet in 2021, Swiss are one of the best opportunities to still fly on the A340-300. They have five active examples flying out of Zurich to destinations in Asia and North America.

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Airbus A340-500

Meteb Ali / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Asia & Middle East

Azerbaijan Airlines The last remaining operator of the A340-500 in passenger service. It flies two examples out of to destinations like Dubai, Istanbul and Moscow.

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Airbus A340-600

Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) Asia & Middle East

Mahan Air This airline has five A340-600 variants in its fleet based at Tehran IKA airport in Iran. They mostly fly to destinations in , , Malaysia, and the UAE.

Europe

Lufthansa Until recently the largest operator of the A340-600, Lufthansa’s fleet has been parked since the Covid-19 outbreak and it seems unlikely to be reactivated. Included on the chance they will return to service.

Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas Although its single A340-600 has been parked recently, it is thought to be likely to return to service. It had been flying to destinations in Asia and from Madrid previously.

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Antonov An-12

Mostly seen as a , the large, four-engine An-12 has been made available for special enthusiast charters recently. As such, we include it here as a rare aircraft to fly.

Over 1,200 were built, yet very few are still seen in active service today.

Europe

Ruby Star An airline based at Minsk, . Its An-12 aircraft are sometimes chartered by enthusiast tours, such as those offered by Merlintours.

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Antonov An-24/26

Regis Sibille / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

This popular twin-turboprop airliner of 1950s design saw service across Eastern Europe, the Soviet states and Asia throughout its lifetime. Of the 1,300 built relatively few remain in passenger service. The same goes for its An-26 and An-30 stablemates, which mostly operate as cargo and military transports.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo The North Korean national airline flies the type. Flights on the airline are only accessible to foreigners through an organised tour.

Angara Airlines A Siberian airline based at Irkustk Airport. It has both An-24 and An-26 aircraft among its fleet, which are used on regional services throughout this part of .

Chukotavia Another small, based in . It’s headquarters are at , and it flies both An- 24 and An-26 aircraft.

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IrAero Quite a large regional airline based at in Siberia, eastern Russia. Its fleet ranges right up to . The 17 An-24 and An-26 aircraft it owns are flown on local services.

Khabarovsk Airlines Based at in eastern Russia. It has a few An-24 and An-26 aircraft in its fleet.

KrasAvia One of Russia’s largest airlines. Based at in Siberia, it has a decent number of An-24 and An-26 aircraft which it flies on regional and local services.

Polar Airlines A passenger and cargo charter airline based in which has 15 An-24 and An-26 aircraft in its fleet.

Europe

Motor Sich Airlines This Ukrainian operator has three An-24RVs flying out of Kiev Zhulany airport to various destinations, such as Zaprozhia.

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Antonov An-72/74

Intended as a replacement for the An-26, the -72 is a regional from the 1970s which did not see much success. Its unusual engine layout, placed on top of the high , makes it a distinctive airliner to fly on.

The An-74 was the military transport variant of this aircraft family. Again, few were built.

Asia & Middle East

Pouya Air An Iranian airline which flies the An-74. It is not easy to ascertain the routes or schedules of the aircraft, or how to book a flight on it.

Europe

Motor Sich Airlines This airline in operate a single An-74, which is often in cargo configuration or lease out to the United Nations. Again, it seems difficult to plan an organise a flight on the aircraft, however the Kiev-Zaprozhia route is often served by it.

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Antonov An-140

Developed in the 1990s as Antonov’s answer to the regional turboprop market so popular in the West, the An-140 is a twin airliner capable of carrying around 50 passengers, or an equivalent amount of cargo. It was designed for unprepared airstrips. Only 34 were built.

Europe

Motor Sich Airlines The sole operator of the type in the world, with one active example. It is used mostly on Motor Sich’s routes out of Kiev and Zaporizhia.

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Antonov An-148/158

Masakatsu Ukon / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

First flying in 2004, the Antonov An-148 is a twin-jet capable of flying up to 2,400 miles with 68-85 passengers. It featured a modern fly-by-wire system and two-man cockpit, yet could easily handle unprepared airstrips. Just over 40 examples were built.

A stretched variant, the An-158, emerged in 2010 and was capable of carrying 99 passengers. It also featured wingtip fences and other improvements.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo This reclusive airline recently added the An-148 to revitalise its regional fleet. It is possible to travel on them only as part of a specially-arranged aviation tour of North Korea, such as those offered by Juche Travel Services.

Angara Airlines A Russian carrier based at Irkutsk in the eastern part of the country. It has five An-148s in its fleet, which are used on regional routes.

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Central & South America

Cubana The sole operator of the An-158, Cubana, based at , operated these aircraft on domestic flights plus regional routes to . However, they have been grounded since 2018 due to safety concerns and it is not certain whether they will be reactivated.

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Beechcraft 18

One of the most numerous transport aircraft ever built, the was built between 1937 and 1969 and saw service all over the world in civilian and military roles. The vast majority were used during World War II.

Today most are in museums, private ownership, or have been scrapped, but a precious few offer scenic charter flights for enthusiasts to enjoy.

Africa

Springbok Classic Air This Johannesburg, , outfit fly a number of classic aircraft on scenic tours, including a Beech 18. See www.springbokclassicair.co.za

USA & Canada

Vintage Aircraft Based in Stockton, California offer scenic flights and training in their Beech 18. See www.twinbeech.com#

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Beechcraft Model 99

Developed as an early commuter turboprop based on the Beech King Air and aircraft, the Model 99 saw moderate success around the world.

Today the remaining examples are mostly in service as package freighters feeding smaller airports, particularly in the USA, Canada and Caribbean. A few passenger examples can be found.

Caribbean

Flamingo Air Based in , Flamingo Air has its headquarters at Grand Bahama . It flies scheduled and charter services to various islands with its three Beechcraft 99s.

USA & Canada

North-Wright Airways Based at Norman Wells, NWT, Canada, this airline serves local communities on commuter services using a mixed fleet of and , including two Beechcraft 99s.

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Boeing 717-200

Inherited by Boeing when it merged with McDonnell Douglas, the 717 was originally designed as the MD-95 – the next in the long family line of DC-9 and MD-80 series aircraft which had developed since the 1960s.

Being so different from any other Boeing aircraft at the time, only moderate effort was put into sales of the type, and only 156 were built.

Whilst most of the built aircraft are still in service, few airlines fly the type.

Europe

Volotea Airlines In the process of phasing the type out, this Spanish airline still operates the 717 on its scheduled and charter flights scattered all over southern Europe – from bases in in France, , and . It is slowly replacing the type with aircraft.

USA & Canada

Delta Airlines Operating the largest fleet of Boeing 717s in the world, with over 80 examples, Delta flies the aircraft out of Atlanta, New York La Guardia and some other hubs, mainly on domestic routes.

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Hawaiian Airways Operating on intra-island services, ’ 19-strong fleet shows no sign of being replaced just yet.

Oceania & Pacific

Qantas Link Operated by its partner, National Jet Systems, these branded 717s are found on services around , principally out of Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports.

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Boeing 737-200

Aviatsa 737-200. Photo © Eric Lichtenstein

Boeing 737 ‘Classics’ (the -100 to -500 range) were developed from the late 1960s until the 1990s. Whilst all -100s are retired, and the -200 is a dying breed, the -300, -400, and -500 are still flying in sufficient numbers to be deemed unnecessary to cover in this book. Perhaps they’ll appear in a future edition sooner than hoped, however!

Here we look at the remaining 737-200s in passenger service. What was so prevalent in Europe and North America in the 1970s and 80s, and still very evident in Asia in the 2000s, is now quite rare.

Africa

Air Zimbabwe Still struggling to modernise, ’s two original Boeing 737-200s are active and operating on African routes.

Central & South America

Aviatsa A Honduran carrier based at Tegucigalpa. It flies two 737-200s in a stunning livery on regional services.

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Avior Airlines Based at in Venezuela, Avior operates five examples in a smart livery to domestic and South American destinations.

ConViasa Another Venezuelan airline, with one 737-200 in its fleet for use on domestic and regional services out of Caracas.

RUTACA Airlines Based at Caracas in Venezuela, RUTACA has a small fleet of 737-200s used on domestic services.

Venezolana Airlines Yet another Veneuzelan carrier based at Caracas. It has six 737-200s used on domestic services.

USA & Canada

Air Inuit Still operates two examples of the 737-200 on scheduled services out of Montreal to remote communities in the north of the country.

Candian North This airline has the largest fleet of -200s in Canada airlines. Again, these fly passenger charters and schedules to remote communities, mostly from , Iqaluit and Yellowknife.

Norlinor Operates six 737-200s on charters from Montreal, often to gravel airstrips in northern Canada.

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Boeing 737-600

When the Next Generation models of 737 emerged, they loosely matched the Classic predecessors. The 737-600 was a match for the -500, however it did little to stir sales interest from airlines. The largest operator was Scandinavian Airlines, which retired the type last year. A few other airlines still fly this rarer variant.

Africa

Air Algerie This airline owns five 737-600s. They are based at Algiers often fly into Europe, as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East.

Tunis Air There are three -600s in this airline’s fleet, but two have been inactive recently. They fly from Tunisian cities to destinations in Europe and Africa.

USA & Canada

WestJet Now the largest operator of the 737-600 with 13 examples. They fly on domestic services within Canada, as well as some US services. Newer 737 MAX aircraft are intended as replacements for this fleet.

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Boeing 747-300

Of the classic Boeing 747 models (-100, -200, -300 and SP), the -300 is now the only one with a chance of being flown on as a passenger, and even that is a slim chance.

The first Boeing 747 to feature a stretched upper deck (some -100s and -200s were retrofitted and classified SUD models), the -300 had a higher capacity but lacked the advancements soon to be seen in the -400 model. Only 81 were built.

Asia & Middle East

Mahan Air The Iranian carrier is the last operator in the world of the passenger 747-300, with two examples in their fleet EP-MND and EP-MNE.

It is difficult to plan a flight on the 747 as the airline often mixes up the types it uses on different routes. However, the aircraft have not flown for some time, since the Covid-19 outbreak and may not return to service.

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Boeing 747-400

It seems painful to add this aircraft to the growing list of rare airliners, but with the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 many of the operators of the Boeing 747-400 chose to retire the type. With demand for air travel at an all-time low, larger airliners were not required, and so the older 747s were given early retirement in place of more modern, fuel-efficient types.

A handful of airlines still fly the type, as listed here:

Africa

Max Air A Nigerian airline based at Kano. It has four 747-400 passenger variants in its fleet which seem to be used mostly to ferry pilgrims to for Hajj.

Asia & Middle East

Air China Three -400s supplement ’s 747-8 fleet, now relegated to mostly operating domestic trunk routes from Beijing.

Air India India’s national carrier retains three -400s, used between Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad, as well as on Hajj pilgrimage flights to Saudi Arabia.

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Asiana Airlines The South Korean airline has been modernising its fleet in recent years. It still flies a selection of 747- 400s from Seoul Incheon to destinations in China. Likely to be retired in 2024.

China Airlines ’s national carrier has three passenger 747-400s among a large fleet of freighter examples. They fly from Taipei Taoyuan to Chinese destinations and Hong Kong.

Iraqi Airways Two 747-400s are in ’ fleet. Most recently they have been used on flights between and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

Korean Air Also flies two 747-400 passenger variants among its freighter examples and 747-8s. Seems to be relegated to the Seoul Gimpo to Jeju route at the time of writing, with the type likely to be withdrawn soon.

Mahan Air While its 747-300s seem to be grounded, Mahan Air’s sole 747-400 has been flying recently on domestic routes out of Tehran. It is likely to be used on international sectors in the future.

Thai Airways At the time of writing, ’ eight-strong fleet of 747-400s had been grounded for a long time owing to the coronavirus outbreak and the airline’s ongoing restructuring. It is unknown whether they will return to service. Had been operating some regional routes around the Far Wast, as well as the -Phuket link.

Europe

Lufthansa Still technically the largest operator of the Boeing 747-400, this German airline’s fleet has been grounded since the Covid-19 outbreak and may not be reactivated. Its 747-8s are now flying again, but many of its older aircraft have been sent for part-out.

Rossiya Airlines With seven 747-400s in its fleet, Russia’s remains one of the largest operators of the type. Prior to coronavirus these aircraft were being used to ferry holidaymakers from Russian cities to destinations across Europe, the Caribbean and Far East. It is likely they will return to this role as travel opens up again. They also operate the route between Moscow and .

Wamos Air A Spanish airline which operates its aircraft on behalf of other carriers and on special charters. It has four Boeing 747-400s in its fleet. It is difficult to predict where they will be operating.

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USA & Canada

Atlas Air This airline has a large fleet of Boeing 747-400s. Most are freighters, but some are still in passenger configuration. The airline does not offer scheduled services, but flies charters around the world in support of the military and other airlines.

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Boeing 757-300

Compared to the high-selling original 757-200 model, the stretched -300 variant seemed to only attract a few operators who found a niche role for it. Of these were primarily US scheduled airlines and European leisure operators.

A number are still going strong, and can be flown here:

Europe

Azur This Ukrainian charter airline recently took delivery of its first 757-300 and is using it on charter flights to European holiday destinations out of Kiev Boryspil airport.

Condor The largest operator of the 757-300 in Europe. It has 15 examples flying out of airports in to various holiday destinations in Europe. Usually only bookable as part of a package holiday, careful planning may bag a flight on the type.

Icelandair The Icelandic airline has two examples, TF-FIX and TF-ISX (which is in a special ‘100 Years of Icelandic National Sovereignty’ livey). They fly on a variety of European and North American services out of Keflavik International.

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USA & Canada

Delta Airlines Delta has 16 Boeing 757-300s in its fleet at the time of writing. They are almost exclusively used on domestic trunk routes.

United Airlines Similarly, United also has 21 -300s which is uses on domestic routes from its main hub airports.

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Boeing 767-200

Aktug Ates [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The original Boeing 767 variant has become rarer in service with passenger airlines, whilst the -300 and, to some extent the -400, soldier on in decent numbers. Here are your chances to fly the shorter model.

Africa

Air Zimbabwe Still has one active 767-200 and another stored example. Finding (or risking) flights with the airline may be tricky.

Europe

UTair This Russian carrier has a fleet of three Boeing 767-200ERs which it uses on various domestic routes in Russia from its base at Moscow Vnukovo.

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USA & Canada

Eastern Airlines The third iteration of this classic American airline name. The current iteration was previously Dynamic Airways and has a fleet of four 767-200ER, plus 767-300s and 777-200s. It mostly flies charters but recently has established scheduled services between New York JFK and Equador.

Omni Air International This airline does not operate scheduled services, but mostly military charters and occasional ad-hoc flights on behalf of other airlines. They operate two examples, N207AX and N225AX.

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British Aerospace 146

The 1980s era British four-engine airliner was developed in three variants, the -100, -200 and -300. From 1992 a modified airliner named the Avro RJ superseded the original models, being produced as the RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100. Attempts to further revitalise the series with the Avro RJX stalled in 2002 and no more aircraft were built.

Sadly no RJ70 aircraft remain in passenger operation.

BAe 146-100

The original model of the four-engine British airliner is the Bae 146-100. It is also one of the rarest with so few being built. Production started in 1983.

Asia & Middle East

SkyJet A boutique carrier in the with a single BAe 146-100s used exclusively on domestic services from Manila to Basco, Caticlan, Coron and Siargao.

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Central & South America

Aerovías DAP A Chilean operator which recently took delivery of CC-AXE, a classic 146-100. Its base is at Punta Arenas airport. It flies to domestic cities and destinations in .

BAe 146-200

LBM1948 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) Asia & Middle East

Aviastar A small airline based in , , using Twin Otters and BAe 146-200s on domestic and government subsidy flights around the country.

SkyJet SkyJet also has two BAe 146-200s in its fleet for domestic routes out of Manila in the Philippines.

Central & South America

Aerovías DAP The Chilean airline also operates two 146-200 variants on routes within and into Argentina.

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Europe

JOTA Aviation Operates a single example, G-SMLA, which often shows up as a substitute for scheduled services and charter flights.

Oceania & Pacific

Cobham Aviation Services Australia A scheduled and charter airline based in Adelaide but with operations throughout Australia. It has one 146-200 on its books, as well as other variants.

Pionair Australia While mostly a cargo carrier, Pionair has two 146-200s in passenger configuration which are based at Sydney Bankstown for charter work.

BAe 146-300

Russell Lee / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) Asia & Middle East

Armenia Airways A small carrier based at with a single BAe 146-300 which is flown to Iran and Russia.

Fly Lankan Asia A new Sri Lankan carrier based at . It has Boeing 737-200 freighters and BAe 146-300 passenger aircraft, flying domestic and international sectors.

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Mahan Air This Iranian carrier has one of the largest fleets of BAe 146-300s still flying. These operate domestic routes from Tehran Mehrabad.

Europe

JOTA Aviation As well as its 146-200, JOTA operates four -300s on charter work.

Oceania & Pacific

Cobham Aviation Services Australia Cobham has five 146-300s on its books, but they are mostly used on freighter operations.

British Aerospace/Avro RJ85

Quintin Soloviev / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) Moving on to the second generation of 146, branded as the Avro RJ. The RJ85 is the smaller variant, similar to the 146-200, while the RJ100 is similar to the 146-300.

Asia & Middle East

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Mahan Air A fleet of five RJ85s complement this Iranian airline’s wide-ranging fleet on domestic routes out of Tehran.

Qeshm Airlines Another domestic Iranian operator with a single RJ85 in its fleet, EP-FQS.

Taban Air Similarly, has one RJ85 among its fleet, based at Tehran.

Central & South America

Aerovías DAP The Chilean airline has two RJ85s operated from Punta Arenas to destinations within Chile and into Argentina. ecojet This is a Bolivian airline based at Cochabamba with three RJ85s in its fleet. They fly solely on domestic routes.

Europe

Cityjet Based in Dublin, CityJet still has five RJ85s in its fleet, however it no longer seems to fly contract work with them for or Air France, and they may be phased out as part of the airline’s restructuring.

JOTA Aviation Operates a single RJ85, G-JOTR, on ad-hoc charter services for other airlines.

Oceania & Pacific

Cobham Aviation Services Australia The Adelaide-based scheduled and charter airline has one RJ85 in its fleet.

USA & Canada

Summit Air Based in Yellowknife, NWT, it uses a single RJ85 on its charter services to remote communities. It does not offer scheduled services.

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British Aerospace/Avro RJ100

Asia & Middle East

Mahan Air In addition to other variants, Mahan Air flies three RJ100s on domestic services from Tehran.

Qeshm Airlines This Iranian airline has five RJ100s to complement its single RJ85. They fly mostly domestic routes.

Central & South America

Aerovías DAP Operating almost every 146/RJ variant, its most numerous type is the RJ100 with four examples. They fly out of Punta Arenas, Chile.

Europe

JOTA Aviation Alongside its other variants, JOTA uses RJ100 G-JOTS on charter work.

Oceania & Pacific

Cobham Aviation Services Australia The Adelaide-based scheduled and charter airline has five RJ100s in its fleet.

41

USA & Canada

North Cariboo Air Uses a single RJ100 on charter work, usually from its Calgary and Edmonton bases.

Summit Air (see RJ85) also uses two RJ100 aircraft on charter work.

42

British Aerospace Jetstream

Developed initially as the Jetstream in the 1970s, this small commuter aircraft became part of the new British Aerospace stable and was developed through the 1980s.

The initial Jetstream 31/32 aircraft was later stretched, and the Jetstream 41 was born. It later advanced into the Jetstream 61/BAe ATP airliner, of which none are currently flying passengers.

Now dwindling in numbers, there are still some fairly easy-to-try operators of both variants.

Jetstream 31/32

Africa

Proflight Zambia Proflight serves cities in Zambia, plus Lilongwe in Malawi and Durban in South Africa, from its base at Lusaka. It flies three Jetstream 31/32 aircraft, and three Jetstream 41s.

Caribbean

ACSA Air Century An air charter company based at La Isabella and Las Americas airports in the , offering domestic flights as well as some to other parts of the Caribbean. Operates four Jetstream 31s.

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SAP Air A regional charter and scheduled carrier based at , Dominican Republic. It has five Jetstream 31/32 aircraft among its fleet.

Sunrise Airways Based in , Sunrise Airways has a fleet of Boeing 737, , and a single Jetstream 32 flying from Port-au-Prince.

Central & South America

Aerolíneas Sosa A domestic carrier based at La Ceiba and flying five Jetstream 31s among other commuter aircraft.

Lanhsa Airlines This regional airline is based in La Ceiba, Honduras and flies both charter and scheduled services to domestic destinations around the country using seven Jetstream 31/32 aircraft, plus a single Jetstream 41.

Transmandu This Venezuelan airline has four active Jetstream 32 aircraft in its fleet, which are flown on ‘tourist’ flights from Ciudad Bolivar throughout the country.

Europe

AIS Airlines A Dutch carrier based at Lelystad, but actually operating scheduled flights in Germany. You’ll find their eight Jetstream 32s mostly flying out of Münster Osnabrück. Some of its aircraft also operate as freighters on .

Eagle Air Based at the smaller Reykjavik airport close to the city’s downtown, this airline provides domestic service throughout the country and has three Jetstream 31/32s among its fleet.

Sevenair A large Portuguese airline offering regional and domestic scheduled flights, plus charter and leased aircraft. It has two Jetstream 32s in its fleet, but finding a route with them on may be difficult.

TransAviaBaltika A small regional airline based at Airport in . It has two Jetstream 31/32 aircraft which are used on public service obligation (PSO) domestic routes, as well as destinations in Estonia.

Oceania & Pacific

FlyPelican A small Australian regional airline based at Newcastle Airport in , and also flying out of Canberra and Sydney. It has five Jetstream 32s in its fleet.

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Originair Based at Nelson Airport in , flies domestic flights using four Jetstream 31/32 aircraft to cities such as Napier, , Plymouth and .

USA & Canada

Northwestern Air Based at Fort Smith in Canada’s Northwestern Territories, this airline flies a range of light and regional aircraft to support its operations in the wild north of the country. The eight Jetstream 31/32s are used on scheduled services to destinations like Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Hay River and Yellowknife among others.

Pascan Aviation With a fleet of seven Jetstream 32s, Pascan Aviation connects communities in Labrador and Quebec from its bases at Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport.

Jetstream 41

Africa

Airlink The feeder carrier for , often known as SA , has a fleet of eight Jetstream 41s based at Johannesburg International and feeding traffic from smaller domestic destinations around the country.

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Proflight Zambia Proflight (see above) has three Jetstream 41s in its fleet, used on domestic and regional routes from Lusaka.

Asia & Middle East

Yeti Airlines One of Nepal’s domestic airlines, based at Kathmandu and flying throughout the country to smaller airports. It has six Jetstream 41s in its fleet. These are not used on flights to the famous airfield at Lukla.

Central & South America

Lanhsa Airlines A Honduran domestic airline with seven Jetstream 31/32 aircraft and a single Jetstream 41.

Europe

Eastern Airways A long-time operator of the Jetstream. Its fleet has been dwindling in recent years, but at the time of writing still has nine Jetstream 41s flying out of its UK airports on mostly domestic routes. An unusual sector is the public service route between Cardiff and Anglesey in Wales, operated by the type.

46

Convair 440/580

Pa34 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

The Convair CV-580 was part of the CV-240 family. It came about as a conversion of the CV-340 or CV-440 aircraft, giving it turboprop engines and other improvements. A small number are still in passenger configuration.

Sadly a preserved Convair 340 which was to be flown to the for pleasure flying crashed during a scenic flight in South Africa.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Chathams New Zealand’s remote group’s dedicated air carrier still flies commercially with three Convair 580s. They have been used regularly on the link from to the islands, but predicting the schedule is difficult.

USA & Canada

Nolinor Based at Montreal, Nolinor operate a single CV-340 and four CV-580. The latter is used on charter services, so a flight would need to be specially organised.

47 de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Built in the 1930s as a state-of-the-art passenger airliner, the de Havilland Dragon Rapide today is an example of the glory days of flying. Over 700 were built, and a number are still flying around the world. It’s possible to fly one on an experience flight.

Europe

Classic Wings Offers pleasure flights in three of its eight-seater Dragon Rapides from the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK. These pleasure flights mostly operate during the Sumer season. See www.classic- wings.co.uk

48 de Havilland DH.104 Dove

Julian Herzog / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)

An art-deco airliner developed just after World War 2, the DH.104 Dove is one of Britain’s most successful airliners. It acted as a feeder airliner for carriers, and also enjoyed service as a military transport aircraft (called the Devon). A number remain with preservation organisations.

Europe

LTU Classic A German heritage operator. It regularly flies its Dove aircraft on the airshow circuit, and organises pleasure flights. Find out more at www.ltu-classic.de

49 de Havilland DH.114 Heron

Photo © Pete Webber

Following on from the DH.104 Dove, the DH.114 Heron came along in 1950 and offered increased capacity through a stretch of the fuselage. It featured four piston engines and the same art deco style of the smaller airliner.

Europe

Vasteras Flygmuseum Riley Situated in Sweden, this museum have a beautifully restored Heron, registration N415SA, which operates occasional scenic charter flights from its base at Vasteras Airport west of Stockholm. See www.hasslo.org for more information.

50 DHC-7

plane.geek / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

The “Dash 7” was developed in the early 1970s to provide an airliner which has STOL (Short Take-Off and ) capabilities, allowing it to operate into the shortest runways and landing strips. It incorporated many of the design features of the popular DHC-6 Twin Otter, and was also vastly quieter than most other airliners at the time. Only 113 examples were built, however, as the type failed to make a dent into the market occupied by types such as the Fokker F27 and 748.

Africa

Airkenya Express Based at , uses two Dash 7 aircraft on domestic flights out of Nairobi , and also links to Kilimanjaro in .

USA & Canada

Air Tindi This Canadian airline uses its five Dash 7 aircraft to fly combined cargo and passenger services to outlying communities, making use of its ability to land on unprepared strips. Its bases are at Fort Simpson and Yellowknife airports.

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Dornier 228

calflier001 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

This German-built turboprop airliner emerged in the early 1980s , with its unusually long nose and bulky appearance. The initial -100 variant was replaced by the -200.

Used by around the world, as well as military and other operators, its numbers have dwindled somewhat, despite a further 125 aircraft being built under license in India from 1993.

Since 2009 RUAG have been building Next Generation, or NG, models of the Dornier 228 incorporating modern wings, cockpits and . They are included here.

Asia & Middle East

New Central Airservice A small Japanese domestic airline based at the secondary Chofu Airport near . It flies six Dornier 228s (three of which are NG models) on routes to Izu Oshima, Kozushima, Miyakejima and Niijima.

Sita Air Based at Kathmandu’s main airport, Sita Air flies four Dornier 228s (a couple have also been in accidents) on domestic flights throughout the country, including Lukla in the Himalayas.

Tara Air Another of Nepal’s domestic carriers linking Kathmandu with the outlying communities around the country. Its fleet includes two Dornier 228s.

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Central & South America

Aerocardal A charter airline based at de Chile, operating two Dornier 228s.

MAYAir Based at Cancun, , this airline operates domestic services using its Dornier 228s and other aircraft, particularly on the Cancun-Cozumel route.

Europe

Aurigny The indigenous airline carrier of the UK’s Channel Islands, off the coast of France. has two original Dornier 228s, and two NG variants, which are used on services to the UK and inter-island.

Sevenair A private domestic and charter airline based in . With its base at Lisbon’s secondary Cascais airport, it flies public service routes throughout the country using its Dornier 228s.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Marshall Islands Two Dornier 228-212s on services connecting the many islands in this Pacific nation from the main airport at Majuro.

USA & Canada

Bighorn Airways This airline flies mostly on charter work, but has three Dornier 228-202s in its passenger-carrying fleet. It is based at Sheridan, WY.

Summit ’s Summit Air has a wide-ranging fleet which offers passenger and cargo services throughout the north of the country’s Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon, from its base at Yellowknife. It has five Dornier 228s which are Combi variants, capable of carrying passengers and/or cargo.

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Dornier 328

The Dornier 328 was a twin-turboprop airliner which first flew in 1991 and aimed to take a chunk of the market for regional aircraft at the time. It achieved moderate success, with just over 200 frames being built before production ceased in 2000.

With the acquisition of Dornier by Fairchild in 1996, a second variant of the aircraft was also developed. Named the Fairchild Dornier 328JET it had, as the name suggests, jet engines instead of turboprops on essentially the same body.

Recent developments have worked towards resurrecting the aircraft and restarting production with improved avionics and engines.

Dornier 328-100 Asia & Middle East

Xpress Air An Indonesian airline with six Dornier 328-110s in its fleet. It is based at Tanjung Pinang and flies to destinations in the east of the country.

Europe

Eagle Air Iceland A specialist airline based at Reykjavik Airport flying domestic routes to outlying towns across Iceland. It has one Dornier 328-110, TF-ORI.

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USA & Canada

Central Mountain Air A Canadian airline based at Smithers Airport in British Columbia. It flies scheduled and charter work with a fleet that includes two Dornier 328-110s.

Fairchild Dornier 328JET

Europe

Sun Air of Scandinavia Some of their 15 JET examples are painted in British Airways colours, flying routes out of Billund. Others fly for the JoinJet VIP service. It is fairly easy to book a flight with this airline on the Dornier 328 in Europe.

USA & Canada

Calm Air Based at in Canada. It flies one Dornier 328JET on charter services, sometimes on behalf of other carriers.

Key Lime Air Based at Centennial Airport, operates its Dornier 328JETs on shuttle services around Colorado and Wyoming, as well as charter work.

Taos Air A ‘virtual airline’ which operates flights operated by leased in aircraft. Based at Taos, New Mexico, it flies two Dornier 328JET aircraft to destinations such as Austin, Dallas, and San Diego.

Ultimate Jetcharter Operates VIP charter services which can be booked by the public. It flies out of Cincinnati, Ohio, using seven 328JET aircraft, serving cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland and New York, mostly using secondary airports.

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Douglas DC-3/C-47

By far one of the best-known airliners ever produced, and certainly amongst the most numerous ever built (albeit largely for military transport purposes in the C-47 guise), the DC-3 ‘Dakota’ has a special place in many enthusiasts’ hearts.

A flight in an airworthy is a right of passage for many enthusiasts, but the chances of doing so have diminished somewhat. Thankfully many examples still fly around the world in private hands, as well as in heritage and museum operations. We list here the known operators who fly passengers on their aircraft, but there are others which occasionally offer flights which may not be listed.

(See also Lisunov Li-2)

Africa

Skyclass Aviation Based at Rand, Johannesburg, Skyclass uses DC-3 ZS-BXF for airshows and sightseeing flights, alongside its DC-4. See www.flyskyclass.com

Europe

Aero Passion / Breitling Operate DC-3 HB-IRJ. Roundtrips for members are available when the aircraft is not undertaking other duties. Based in .

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Dakota Operates LN-WND from Sandefjord Torp airport, with flights available. See www.dakotanorway.no

DC Association Based in , this organisation maintains and operates the immaculate DC-3 OH-LCH in livery. It flies members of the association. See www.dc-ry.fi

Dutch Dakota Association Located in Holland and operates DDA Airlines from Amsterdam Schiphol airport. They have two DC- 3s which operate regularly, taking passengers who can book through their website at www.dutchdakota.nl

First Austrian DC-3 Dakota Club Flies an immaculate ‘vistaliner’ DC-3 with enlarged windows for scenic flights. The aircraft, N86U, wears vintage colours and is based at Salzburg. See www.dc-3.club for information on events and flight opportunities.

Flygande Veteraner Has a beautiful DC-3 in classic Scandinavian Airlines colours based at in Sweden and offering flights to members. See www.flygandeveteraner.se

Oceania & Pacific

Air Chathams The chief operator based in the Chatham Islands in the Pacific, near New Zealand. Their DC-3 ZK- AWP is often based at Auckland International and is available for scenic charter flights.

Fly DC3 NZ Operates scenic flights to a schedule from Ardmore Airport near Auckland, New Zealand in a 1940s DC-3. See www.flydc3.co.nz

Melbourne Gooney Bird Offers scenic flights around its home base at Melbourne Essendon Airport, including dinner flights. See www.melbournesgooneybird.com.au

USA & Canada

Aerometal International Base at , Oregon, and dedicated to maintaining classic aircraft. They offer flight training on the DC-3. See www.aerometalinternational.com

Flagship Detroit Foundation This organisation preserves one of the best-known flying DC-3s, wearing the colours of . NC17334 is based at Fort Worth Meacham airport in Texas, but appears at shows all over the country. Flights are available. See www.flagshipdetroit.org

Golden Age Air Tours Based in Sonoma, California, north of San Francisco. Operates N341A on scenic flights. See www.goldenageairtours.com

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Incredible Adventures Operates DC-3 N28AA which has a long history of airline service and is also a movie star. Pleasure flights as well as pilot training is available from locations in California, Florida and Georgia. See incredible-adventures.com/dc3.html

Skydive Skyranch A unique DC-3 operation based at Siloam Spring, Arkansas. Recently started offering skydiving from its own DC-3 aircraft. See www.skyranch.com

Vintage Flying Museum Located at Fort Worth, Texas, and has an immaculate DC-3 painted in the colours it wore during World War II service. Rides are available. See www.vintageflyingmuseum.org

Wings of Valor Based in Perris, California, operating NC43XX in Flying Service colours on scenic flights. Minimum number of passengers apply. See www.wingsofvalor.net

The Yankee Air Museum at Detroit Willow Run Airport, Michigan, offers rides in its DC-3 aircraft. They often operate from other locations, so check their website at www.yankeeairmuseum.org

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Douglas DC-4

The famous four-engined piston airliner built to complement the successful DC-3. It famously took part in the Berlin , and many more military versions (designated C-54) were built than passenger examples.

Sadly few chances to fly one in passenger service exist. Buffalo Airways in Canada still has some examples on its books, but they rarely fly and are not in passenger configuration at the moment.

Africa

Skyclass Aviation This South African classic aircraft and charter operator have ZS-AUB and ZS-BMH in their fleet. They have stylish interior layouts. They are held at the SAA Museum at Rand Airport near Johannesburg, South Africa. Alongside their DC-3, flights in the DC-4 are regularly offered at special events. See their website for details www.saamuseum.co.za

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Douglas DC-9

The original DC-9 model was the shorter -10 series, which actually comprised the -11, -12, -13, -14, and -15 variants. Each had slightly different specifications. The most numerous of these were the -14 and -15. was the original operator of the DC-9 (and thus the -10 model).

The DC-9-20 series was only a niche model built to give SAS an aircraft that could operate out of short field runways, using the fuselage of -10 model. Only 20 of the type were built.

The most popular DC-9 variant was the -30, which enjoyed service with many airlines around the world and was a worthy rival for Boeing's popular 737. It entered service in 1967.

The final steps in DC-9 design before the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series (see later) were the DC-9- 40 and -50 variants, with longer and greater capacity, operated by the likes of Eastern Airlines, Delta, Finnair, Swissair and .

Africa

African Express Airways Based at Nairobi, African Express is one of the last operators of the DC-9 in passenger service. Its sole DC-9-30 is used on routes around , and sometimes to Dubai.

Eastafrican.com Formerly and Fly-SAX, this airline operates the oldest flying DC-9 aircraft, a pair of -10 models, from Nairobi airport on regional and domestic routes.

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Embraer 110 Banderiante

Richard Stretton / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

The aircraft which put Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer in the big league. Designed initially by French aircraft engineer Max Holste, the EMB 110 was intended to be both a civilian and military transport aircraft which could handle multiple roles.

It went on to be a major success, being found all over the world. Over 500 were built, and a selection still fly passengers in smaller airlines.

Caribbean

Pineapple Air An airline based in the Bahamas which flies two EMB-110 Bandeirantes from Nassau to various other islands in the country.

Central & South America

Aeromás A domestic airline based at Montevideo in , flying the EMB-110 to other cities around the country.

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CM Airlines Based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. CM flies seven EMB-110s alongside Let-410s and Saab 340s to domestic destinations.

Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos A passenger and based at La Aurora International in City. It has four EMB- 110s flying mostly on domestic routes.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Rarotonga The airline of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean associated with New Zealand. This small carrier flies a pair of EMB-110s to various islands from its base at Rarotonga.

Northern Air A Fiji airline which links Nausouri International Airport with smaller airports around the islands, including to the capital Nadi. It has four Bandeirantes.

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Embraer 120 Brasilia

Sunnya343 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Following on from the 110 Bandeirante, Embraer developed its next twin-turboprop commuter airliner which was aimed at feeder airlines all over the world. Over 350 were built, including some military variants, until production ceased in 2001.

There are still many operators of the type in Africa.

Africa

AeroJet As the name suggests, a small airline based in Luanda, Angola. It has two Brasilia’s in its fleet, complementing the EMB-140 jets it also flies on local scheduled services.

Air 26 Another small airline based in Angola. Air 26 flies five EMB-120 Brasilias, plus ERJ-135 and -145 jets from Luanda. Some of its aircraft are freighters.

Air Salaam Air A Tanzanian carrier which flies its two EMB-120s out of Dar Es Salaam to the islands of Pemba and Unguja

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Freedom Airline Express A low-cost domestic operator based at Nairobi Wilson Airport in Kenya, flying throughout the country. It has five Brasilias in its fleets.

Mahogany Air Based at Lusaka, Zambia, Mahogany Air flies a single EMB-120 on regional routes.

Transair Based at , , Transair has a single EMB-120 and various other regional aircraft types flying to domestic destinations and on some international routes around neighbouring countries.

Caribbean

InterCaribbean Airways This airline has one of the largest fleets of Brasilias, operating from its base at Providenciales, Turks & Caicos. The airline flies to many Caribbean islands.

Central & South America

Albatros Airlines A private airline in Venezuela which flies Boeing 737-500 and three Embraer 120 aircraft. The Brasilias are used on flights from Porlamar to Carúpano and Maturín, and to Tucupita and Maracay and the Carúpano route to Caracas.

Calafia Airlines A Mexican airline based at Cabo San Lucas with a pair of Brasilias and some ERJ-145s. It flies on domestic routes across most regions of the country.

Europe

Budapest Aircraft Services An unusual, obscure small airline based at with three EMB-120s used on charter and occasional scheduled flights to neighbouring countries like , Austria and Greece.

Vanilla Sky Airlines / AK-Air Georgia This small airline is based at Tbilisi in Georgia and flies a single EMB-120 on the Tbilisi-Batumi route.

Oceania & Pacific

Airnorth Based at Darwin, Australia, uses five EMB-120 aircraft alongside ERJ-170s on domestic routes all over the country, plus mining contracts.

Skippers Aviation Another Australian airline specialising in mining and contractors flying. It also flies some scheduled services out of Broome and Perth airports. Its fleet includes six Brasilias.

64

USA & Canada

Key Lime Air Based at Denver Centennial Airport, has a single Brasilia in its fleet for scheduled services in Colorado and Wyoming.

65

Fairchild Swearingen Metro

YSSYguy at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

This versatile twin turboprop airliner came in many different varieties, usually labelled a Metro, Metroliner or Merlin. Its thin, pencil-like fuselage was popular with regional feeder airliners, and it has become a popular cargo carrier in later life.

The few known operators to offer scheduled services with the type are as follow.

Central & South America

American Jet SA Based at Buenos Aires Aeroparque in Argentina, this airline mostly operates its Metroliner aircraft on private charter work. But the airline also offers some scheduled services.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Chathams The small airline famous with enthusiasts for its Convair and DC-3 fleets also has Fairchild Metro III and 23 airliners in its fleet, carrying passengers between islands.

Sharp Airlines Offering private and scheduled services in Australia out of its main bases at Adelaide, Melbourne Essendon and Launceston airports. Its Metro III and 23 aircraft are used on these schedules.

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Skippers Aviation An Australian private and scheduled airline flying out of Perth and Broome with five Metro 23s among its fleet.

USA & Canada

Perimeter Aviation Based at Winnipeg, Canada, Perimeter has a varied mix of uses for its aircraft, which include around 35 Metros and Merlins capable of carrying passengers. Some scheduled services are offered around and Ontario.

67

Fokker 50

Bidgee / CC BY-SA 3.0 AU (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/au/deed.en)

Developed out of the success of the Fokker F27, the first flew in 1985 and was produced until 1997 after 213 examples had been built.

It was a popular regional airliner and quite common to see particularly in Europe, but has become rarer in recent years where it was once so familiar.

Africa

Air Tanzania The flag carrier of Tanzania, flying out of Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar to domestic and regional destinations. It only has one Fokker 50 in its fleet at present.

Bluebird Aviation A charter and scheduled services airline based at Nairobi in Kenya. It has two Fokker 50s in its fleet, operating alongside Dash 8 turboprops.

Freedom Airline Express A Kenyan operator based at Nairobi flying domestic scheduled and charter services. It has two Fokker 50s among its fleet.

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Jetways Airlines This airline uses five Fokker 50s on domestic charter and scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson airport in Kenya, however three are freighters.

Jubba Airways Another of Kenya’s airlines. Uses two Fokker 50 among other aircraft for flights to Djibouti and .

Skyward Express A small Kenyan airline flying daily scheduled routes from Nairobi Wilson airport to , , , and .. It has ten Fokker 50s, but some are leased out to other carriers.

Sudan Airways The national carrier of Sudan. It has two active Fokker 50s, used on domestic services from Khartoum.

Tarco Air A Sudanese carrier with two Fokker 50s in its fleet. It offers domestic services, as well as flights to neighbouring African countries.

Asia & Middle East

Karun Airlines This Iranian carrier uses five Fokker 50s on domestic and regional services from Ahwaz Airport.

Central & South America

Air Flies regional services from Panama City to destinations in Panama and neighbouring countries. It has a small fleet of Fokker 50s.

MayAir A domestic airline based at Cancun in Mexico. Its three Fokker 50s fly alongside other types like the Dornier 228.

Europe

Air This airline has tried to resurrect Fokker 50 service in Belgium and into . It has a single aircraft, formerly flown by VLM Airlines.

Oceania & Pacific

Alliance Airlines This Australian carrier uses five Fokker 50s mostly on mining operations, but also on some of its limited scheduled services.

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Fokker 70

Andrew J. Muller / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Developed alongside the Fokker 100 as a replacement for the F28 aircraft, the Fokker 70 was the smaller variant, aimed at regional routes. Only 48 were built, but the type has survived as a reliable and popular aircraft with both airlines and passengers.

The largest operator of the type, KLM Cityhopper, retired its aircraft in 2017, leaving few carriers still flying the type. The majority are now based in Australia.

Africa

Fly-Ade A private airline based at Mogadishu, Somalia, with a single Fokker 70 in its fleet. Used on domestic and regional routes. flyEquator A domestic and regional airline based at Juba in South Sudan, with a single Fokker 100 in its fleet.

Jetways Airlines A low-cost domestic airline based at Nairobi Wilson airport, flying Fokker 50, 70 and 100 airliners to destinations around the country.

70

Caribbean

JetAir Caribbean An airline based at Curaçao with two Fokker 70s. It flies to destinations around the Caribbean, as well as South America.

Central & South America

Fly All Ways An airline of which uses three Fokker 70s on flights from to , , and Curaçao.

Wayraperú A small Peruvian airline based at Lima, with flights to destinations around the country using two Fokker 70s.

Europe

Tus Airways A small airline based in which began scheduled services in 2015, but has since reverted to flying mostly charter routes. It has two Fokker 70s.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Nuigini The national airline of New . It utilises eight Fokker 70s to supplement its fleet of Fokker 100s and larger aircraft. These operate domestic routes, and some regional flights to Australia.

Alliance Airlines This Australian carrier now has the largest fleet of Fokker 70s, having taken on many of the former KLM Cityhopper aircraft. Its total is around 15 examples which are used on some scheduled routes. However, much of its operation is focused around the mining industry in Western Australia, the airline has some scheduled routes from Perth, Adelaide and Cairns.

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Fokker 100

Ken Iwelumo [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The largest of the Fokker aircraft. Built between 1986 and 1997, with 283 completed, it is now quite rare. Like the Fokker 70, it is still quite prolific in Australia.

Africa

IRS Airlines Based in Abuja, , IRS uses a fleet of four Fokker 100s for scheduled domestic services.

Jetways Airlines A low-cost domestic airline based at Nairobi Wilson airport, flying Fokker 50, 70 and 100 airliners to destinations around the country.

Asia & Middle East

Caspiy A small airline in Kazakhstan which has ceased flying in the past, currently operates four Fokker 100s out of Almaty.

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Iran Air The Iranian national carrier once had a large fleet of Fokker 100s. It has somewhat reduced now to just two examples at the time of writing, and will likely reduce completely in the near future.

Iran Aseman Airlines This Iranian carrier uses seven Fokker 100s on domestic routes from Tehran Mehrabad.

Karun Airlines Flies five of the type domestically and regionally from Ahwaz. Previously known as Iranian Naft Airlines.

Kish Air This airlines based at in Iran has two Fokker 100s which it uses on domestic and regional flights.

Qeshm Airlines Based at Qeshm Island and Tehran Mehrabad, Qeshm Airlines uses four Fokker 100s on domestic services within Iran.

Central & South America

Air Panama Flies regional services from Panama City to destinations in Panama and neighbouring countries. It has a small fleet of Fokker 100s.

Europe

AvantiAir This charter carrier’s three Fokker 100s often turn up on flights on behalf of other airlines, so it’s hard to book a specific flight with them.

Montenegro Airlines With one remaining Fokker 100 in its fleet, this airline based at is likely to phase out the type by the end of 2020 in favour of its modern Embraer 195 fleet.

Trade Air Based at Zagreb, Croatia, Trade Air has one Fokker 100 which is used mostly on charter flights on behalf of other carriers.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Nuigini The national airline of utilises a fleet of seven Fokker 100s alongside larger Boeing 737s and smaller Dash 8s and Fokker 70s. These operate domestic routes, and some regional flights to Australia.

Alliance Airlines This wide-ranging Australian airline flies Fokker 100s alongside Fokker 50s and 70s. The airline has some scheduled routes from Perth, Adelaide and Cairns.

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Network Aviation This Australian carrier has 17 Fokker 100s in its fleet which are operated on behalf of QantasLink in their colours. They are flown domestically from most major hubs and airports, particularly in eastern Australia.

Skippers Aviation An Australian private and scheduled airline flying out of Perth and Broome with two Fokker 100s among its fleet.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Flying on behalf of its parent carrier, Regional has 12 Fokker 100s which are based in Perth, but operate on a network stretching across the country.

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Ford Tri-Motor

Alexf / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

This small airliner was built from 1925 to 1933 and enjoyed sales around the world. However, many of the units built were for use as transports for military operators.

The type was nicknamed the ‘Tin Goose’ due to its all-metal construction.

Some remain airworthy thanks to the hard work of heritage organisations.

USA & Canada

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) operates an example, NC8704, which they tour around the USA offering pleasure flights on. The EAA also offer pleasure flights at the annual EAA Air Adventure Air Show held at Oskhosh, Wisconsin, each summer.

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Grumman G-21 Goose

RuthAS / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

A unique floating commuter airliner capable of flying from water locations around the world, yet with wheels to allow it to operate on land. The Grumman Goose has two large radial engines to the side of the bulbous cabin, mounted in high wings. Around 345 examples were built, finding work in the war effort and military organisations, as well as with civil operators. A number are still used by private owners today.

USA & Canada

Pacific Coastal Airlines A Canadian airline which uses four Grumman Goose aircraft. They operate from Port Hardy, British Columbia, among other destinations.

The Goose Hangar Based in Anchorage, Alaska. This organisation operates Goose N703 to train pilots or give experiences in flying seaplanes. See www.goosehangar.com

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Ilyushin Il-18

Mark Fahey from Sydney, Australia / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

One of the most successful airliners to emerge from the former , the Ilyushin Il-18 has stood the test of time.

From its entry into service in 1957 to the present day, many carriers across Russia and the former Soviet states have used the type, despite jet aircraft emerging shortly after its introduction. It was also popular in its later years among African airlines.

Today, numbers are dwindling, with only one passenger example still in (occasional) service.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo The national airline of North Korea is the last commercial operator of the Ilyushin Il-18. You can only fly on this aircraft if you are on an organised aviation tour of North Korea.

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Ilyushin Il-62

Pavel Adzhigildaev / CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL

Russia's famed long-haul airliner from the 1960s is fading from our skies. Of the 292 Il-62s built, only a few operators are left; these are mostly carrying cargo.

One airline still has passenger examples in service, but these are rarely used.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo North Korea’s national airline is the last passenger Il-62 operator. You can only fly on their aircraft by joining an organised aviation tour of North Korea.

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Ilyushin Il-76

Vitaly V. Kuzmin / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

The cargo-carrying Ilyushin Il-76 was never really envisioned as a passenger aircraft. So flying on one has always been difficult.

Nevertheless, there are tour companies who can organise flights on the type as part of packages they put together for special flight enthusiasts. The airlines they use include:

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo Based in North Korea. Flights on their aircraft are possible as part of tours offered by companies such as Juche Travel Services. See www.juchetravelservices.com

Europe

Ruby Star A charter airline based in Belarus. Flights sometimes arranged as part of tours offered by companies such as Merlintour. See www.merlintour.fr

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Ilyushin Il-96-300

Dmitriy Pichugin [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Despite making its first flight in 1988 and entering service in 1992, the Ilyushin Il-96 is still in occasional production, even though original operators such as have retired the type.

All new variants will be of the -400 variety, with reworked engines, which is being pushed as a Russian alternative for the prevalence of Airbus and Boeing types. It is unlikely to ever see mass production, with only some examples for the Russian government likely to appear.

One airline still flies the Il-96 in passenger service, and it’s not in Russia!

Central & South America

Cubana ’s national carrier is at present the sole operator of this type. They operate a single Il-96-300 on routes to Caracas, Paris, and Madrid, Spain, but it is hard to find an exact schedule as other types often fly the routes. Cubana allegedly still has three Il-96-400s on order.

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Let L-410

Andres Ramirez [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

One of the ugliest aircraft to have flown, yet one of Eastern Europe’s more successful types, having been developed and built in Czechoslovakia (later the Czech Republic) from 1969.

A modified ‘Next Generation’ variant is in production today, and some smaller carriers still fly the original variant.

Africa

Air Excel A Tanzanian airline with a single Let 410, offering scheduled and charter services from Arusha.

Air Fast Congo Operates scheduled services from Lubmumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kolwezi, Kamina and Manono. It has three L-410s.

Blue Based at Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya, Blue Sky has two Let 410s for use on domestic tourist flights.

Cabo Verde Express A small fleet of Turbolets are used to link the various islands of Cape Verde on passenger and cargo flights.

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Comores Aviation International Two Let 410s are used by this airline to link destinations around the Comoros Islands, as well as Madagascar and Tanzania, with the capital Moroni.

Eagle Air Guinea Flies a single Let 410 on charter flights around from in Guinea.

Eagle Air Uganda Two Let 410s are used by this airline, alongside other types, to link Entebbe with various domestic destinations around Uganda.

Int'Air Îles Bsased at Ouani Airport in the Comoros, this airline uses its single Tubolet on domestic routes.

Kin Avia Based at Kinshasa in Congo, this airline uses five Let 410s on scheduled flights to Bandundu, Boma, Kikwit, Matadi, Muanda and Nioki.

Mombasa Air Safari With two Let 410s in its fleet. This airline operates scheduled flights and tourist charters within Kenya.

Tropical Air A local airline in Tanzania flying to six domestic destinations with Let 410s from its base at Zanzibar.

Asia & Middle East

Aeroservis A scheduled and air taxi operator based at Chita in East Siberia. It flies three L-410s.

KrasAvia One of Russia’s largest regional carriers. Its route structure and timetable are difficult to navigate and plan. The airline does, nevertheless, operate four Let L-410s.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Air A Russian domestic and regional airline based at Yelizovo’s Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport in the far north east of the country. Five Let 410s are in its fleet.

Polar Airlines Another Siberian carrier, based at Yakutsk and flying only on local domestic flights. It has four Let 410s.

SiLA Siberian Light Aviation A regional airline based at Magadan and Irkutsk in Siberia, Russia. It has four Let 410s for short flights.

Summit Air Based at Kathmandu, Nepal, operating to domestic destinations. It has four L-410s.

Susi Air Indonesia’s small airline with a wide-ranging network linking many tiny communities and smaller airports around the country’s network of islands. It has a single Let 410 in its fleet.

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Central & South America

Aerocaribe de Honduras With two L-410s in its fleet, this airline flies to a couple of domestic destinations.

Aerolineas Sosa Another Honduran carrier flying to five cities within the country. It has two L-410s among its fleet.

Air Guyane Express Based at Cayenne in French Guiana, this airline has four Let 410 Turbolets which it operates on domestic routes, as well as to Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin Grand Case.

CM Airlines Based at Tegucigalpa in Honduras, this airline flies scheduled domestic services with the L-410.

SEARCA A regional and domestic airline based at Colombia’s main cities (Bogota, Barranquilla, Medellin and San Andres Island). Its Let 410s fly on short sectors within the country.

Skyway A regional airline based at San Jose, Costa Rica, operating scheduled services to eight destinations around the country using Let 410s.

Transporte Aereo de Colombia Two Let 410s are in this airline’s fleet. It flies between Palmira and Cali, and on charter routes.

Europe

Gazpromavia While its Let 410 fleet is used mainly on oil and gas charters for workers, it is occasionally possible to buy a ticket on these. The airline is based at Moscow Vnukovo.

Khabarovsk Avia A Russian airline based at Khabarovsk operating four Lets in its fleet which includes various Soviet types. They fly on domestic services.

KomiAviaTrans A small Russian regional carrier operating from Syktyvakar on a range of domestic routes. It operates L-410s and Embraer 145s.

Orenburzhye A regional airline based at in central Russia. It has nine L-410s in its fleet and flies to a wide range of domestic cities and those over the border in former Soviet states.

TransAviaBaltika Based at Kaunas airport in Lithuania, TransAviaBaltika uses Let 410s and Jetstreams on domestic and public service flights around the country and into Belarus.

Vanilla Sky Airlines / AK-Air Georgia This small airline is based at Tbilisi in Georgia and flies a single Let 410 on flights to Mestia, Ambrolauri and Kutaisi from Tbilisi.#

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Zhetysu Avia A small airline based in Kazakhstan, flying two Let 410s between Almaty and Taldykorgan.

ZhezAir Another Kazakhstan airline flying two Let 410s. It links the cities of Zhezkazgan and Karagandy.

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Lisunov Li-2

The license-built variant of the Douglas DC-3 was built in Moscow and later Tashkent to provide carriers and military organisations in this region with aircraft.

Over 6,000 examples were built before production ceased in 1952, however only one airworthy example is known to exist.

Europe

The Goldtimer Foundation operate a sole example, HA-LIX, on pleasure flights from Buadörs, Hungary. See www.goldtimer.hu

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McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series

Spawning from the successful Douglas DC-9 family (see earlier), the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series of aircraft saw stretches in capacity, range and upgraded technology on board the aircraft.

They proved successful with scheduled and leisure airlines the world over. However, in recent years the number of active MD-80s has dramatically reduced, to the point that they are now included in this book as a dying breed! This is especially true following Delta Air Lines’ recent retirement of the type, which leaves no airlines flying the MD-90, and only one flying the MD-88 at present. No MD- 87s are flying passengers at present, either.

MD-81/82/83 Africa

African Express Airways As well as operating one of the last DC-9s in passenger service, African Express also flies a couple of MD-82 airliners out of its Nairobi, Kenya base. These can be found flying to Dubai and destinations in East Africa.

Canadian Airlines Congo A small scheduled airline flying two MD-82/83 aircraft out of Maya-Maya airport in Brazzaville, Congo.

Dana Air Based at Lagos, Nigeria, this airline has two MD-82s and four MD-83s flying to domestic destinations around the country.

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Asia & Middle East

Airfast Indonesia Based at Jakarta’s main Soekarno-Hatta International airport and flies two MD-82s and two MD-83s. These are largely used on charter work, but the airline does have a network of domestic scheduled routes which they appear on.

ATA Airlines Based at in Iran, this airline flies eight MD-82s and MD-83s on domestic and regional flights.

Caspian Airlines Uses a fleet of MD-82 and -83s on domestic and regional scheduled flights from Tehran Mehrabad, Iran.

Iran Air Tours A subsidiary of Iran Air. It uses MD-82s from Tehran, and on flights around Iran and the Middle East.

Kish Air With a fleet of four MD-82s and two MD-83s, Kish Air flies these aircraft on internal routes within Iran, and on flights to Dubai, UAE, from its Kish Island base.

Sahand Asia Airlines A small Iranian airline flying a MD-82 and two MD-83s out of Tehran Mehrabad on domestic and regional services.

Taftan Air Another Iranian airline, this time based at Zahedan Airport. It has an MD-82 and MD-83 in its fleet for domestic services.

Zagros Airlines An Iranian airline flying both the MD-82 and -83 on domestic sectors from Tehran.

Central & South America

Andes Lineas Aereas An Argentinian regional airline. It flies three MD-83s from Buenos Aires Aeroparque to points around the country.

LASER Airlines A Venezuelan airline which until recently also flew the DC-9. It now flies a decent number of MD-81, -82 and -83 variants on routes from Caracas Simon Bolivar airport around the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Linea Aeropostal Venezuela Recently resurrected after closing down, this state-run Venezuelan airline now flies two MD-82s from Caracas to domestic destinations and Cuba.

Venezolana A Venezuelan carrier based at Caracas Simon Bolivar and La Chinita International airports. It has a pair of MD-82s which fly to domestic destinations as well as Panama City, Port of Spain and Santo Domingo.

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Europe

ALK Airlines A Bulgarian charter airline which operates two MD-82 aircraft. These tend to be leased to or operated on behalf of other carriers, particularly within Europe.

Bravo Airways Based at Kiev Zhuliany airport, this Ukraine charter carrier flies two MD-82s and a MD-83 out of Kiev Boryspil to destinations such as , Beirut and Tehran, as well as holiday destinations.

Bulgarian Air Charter A charter airline which operates a fleet of nine MD-82s on charters from Sofia and Varna to European destinations on behalf of tour operators.

Danish Air Transport Flying a single MD-82 and MD-83, Danish Air Transport mostly uses these aircraft on charter flights whilst its smaller regional aircraft operate scheduled services. The MD-82 is painted in a special retro livery.

Khors Air A Ukrainian charter airline with a single MD-81 and MD-82. These fly on holiday and charter routes out of Kiev and other cities.

USA & Canada

World Atlantic Airlines While this carrier does not operate scheduled services, and mostly flies its fleet of 12 MD-82 and -83 aircraft on behalf of private operators, they are sometimes flown on charter flights under the Caribbean Sun Airlines brand and are. They are the only current US airline flying the type following the recent exit of , American Airlines and Delta Air Lines from the “Mad Dog” club.

MD-88 Asia & Middle East

Taban Air Based at Mashhad in Iran, Taban Air flies domestic and regional charters and scheduled flights with four MD-88s, among other types.

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Saab 340

This Swedish-built commuter turboprop airliner was very popular with feeder and regional airlines around the world – particularly in Australia, Europe and the . Built over two variants, the 340A and 340B/B+, it would also later see the Saab 2000, which was a stretch of the original (none of which are currently flying passengers).

As the Saab has aged the number of examples still flying passengers have dwindled.

Asia & Middle East

Hokkaido Air System This Japanese regional airline uses three Saab 340s on regional flights out of Okadama Airport in . It plans to replace these with ATR 42s in the near future.

Int'Air Îles A regional airline in the Comoros island chain, flying domestic routes with a single Saab 340B+.

Japan Air Commuter still uses a fleet of nine Saab 340s for feeder flights out of Kagoshima and Osaka Kansai International airports to regional destinations around Japan.

Caribbean

ACSA Air Century The Dominican Republic airline has two Saab 340Bs flying regional routes out of Santo Domingo.

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Cayman Airways Has a small fleet of Saabs to supplement larger aircraft used on its flights out of George Town, Grand Cayman.

One Caribbean A small airline based at , Saint Vincen and the Granadines. It has two Saab 340B aircraft flying to Sint Maarten, Barbados and .

SAP Air Servicios Aéreos Profesionales of the Dominican Republic has a single Saab 340B used on charter and scheduled flights around the country and Caribbean.

Seaborne Airlines Based in San Juan, . Its fleet comprises mostly Saab 340s, with destinations around the Caribbean.

SkyBahamas Airlines Flies from various islands in the Bahamas, and also to Florida. It has two Saab 340s.

Western Air A large regional airline based at Nassau in the Bahamas. It operates scheduled Saab 340 services to Florida, , Haiti and other Caribbean destinations.

Central & South America

Aerolineas Sosa With a single Saab 340 among its fleet, this airline based in La Ceiba, Honduras, to domestic destinations.

LADE Lineas Aereas del Estado The state-run airline of Argentina. LADE has four Saab 340B aircraft among its unusual fleet, and these can be found on the domestic routes its operates out of its hubs at Comodoro Rivadavia, Buenos Aires and El Calafate.

TAG Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos This regional airline has seven Saab 340s in its fleet, both A and B+ variants, flying out of its main bases at La Aurora International and Mundo Maya International airports.

Europe

Air Leap A Norwegian/Swedish airline based at Stockholm’s Arlanda and Bromma airports. It has four active Saab 340B aircraft and flies on many Swedish domestic routes, as well as some routes within Norway and Finland.

Air Urga Not yet operating scheduled services owing to an EU ban, is working towards this and currently flies its six Saab 340s on charter work.

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Loganair While it is actively seeking to retire the type, still operates 15 Saab 340s in both passenger and cargo configurations on services around the UK, particularly from its Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen bases.

Oceania & Pacific

Air Chathams While you may prefer to try and fly on Air Chathams Convair fleet (see earlier), they also operate three Saab 340s on their island network.

Air Rarotonga Uses two Saab 340B+ among other aircraft. It usually operates the type from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands to Auckland International in New Zealand.

REX Regional Express Australia’s largest regional airline. It is based at Sydney airport, with outposts at most major airports around the country. It operates more than 50 Saab 340s (all variants), covering all three variants.

REALTonga Real Airlines flies domestic services throughout the Tongan islands. It has one Saab 340B+ in its fleet.

USA & Canada

Pacific Coastal Airlines A commuter airline based in Vancouver. It has nine Saab 340s (a mixture of A, B and B+ models) operating to cities throughout British Columbia. Some are flown on behalf of WestJet Link.

Silver Airways This regional airline has a large fleet of Saab 340s. It is based at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, serving airports throughout the state, and also many destinations in the Bahamas.

Transwest Air Based at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, this airline uses three Saabs for scheduled services around the region.

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Saab 2000

Photo © Andreas https://www.flickr.com/photos/vstpic/

The stretched version of the Saab 340 emerged in 1992, adding extra seats to the popular regional airliner. Only 63 were built, however, with most operated in Switzerland initially.

Today very few remain in passenger service, owing to its increasing age and the small number that were built.

Europe

Air Leap A joint venture airline operated by Air Leap of Norway and Air Large Europe Aviation Project of Sweden. Based at Stockholm’s Arlanda and Bromma airports, it has three active Saab 2000s operating domestic routes alongside its Saab 340 and ATR 72 aircraft.

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Short 360

The oddly shaped British turboprop commuter aircraft known as the and 360 were very popular in the 1980s and 90s but have since all but disappeared.

You can tell the difference between the two in that the 330 has twin vertical tailfins, while the 360 has a single central tailfin. No Short 330s remain in passenger service. A few 360s are still in passenger operation, while the remainder are cargo carriers or now scrapped.

The smaller relative, the SC.7 Skyvan is also still in limited operation, mostly as a parachute drop platform or military steed. No airline operators are known. Europe

Ayit Aviation A small domestic airline in which operates tourist and military flights. It has a single Short 360, 4X-AVP, which is based at Beersheba, but can be flown from Tel Aviv Sde Dov Airport.

Caribbean

Pineapple Air A Bahamas airline which operates within the island group. It has a single Short 360, C6-BUS, among its small fleet.

SAP Air A small Dominican Republic airline based at Santo Domingo with a single Short 360, HI657. It mostly flies on charter flights, however.

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Tupolev Tu-134

Papas Dos from Moscow, Russia / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

A popular and successful Russian aircraft which stood the test of time, but is sadly now mostly a thing of the past.

The Tu-134 was developed in the 1960s as the country’s answer to the Caravelle and DC-9 in the West. It was built in the hundreds, but a poor safety record and a shift from older, noisier types saw its widespread retirement, especially since the Russian government passed a requirement for most to be removed from service.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo North Korea’s national airline offers flights on its Tu-134 to those visiting as part of an organised aviation tour. Its aircraft is immaculate, and one of the last Tu-134s built.

Europe

Kosmos Airlines A Russian carrier which serves the country’s space industry mostly as a cargo airline. It has three active Tu-134s in its fleet which are passenger configured. They don’t operate scheduled services, but have been chartered for special enthusiast trips in the past couple of years.

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Tupolev Tu-154

aeroprints.com / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Arguably the Soviet Union's most successful airliner, the Tu-154 enjoyed many years of success as a workhorse for a lot of airlines. Over 1,000 were produced across the B and M variants, working medium-haul routes across Russia, the CIS and Asia.

While its popularity spread to Eastern Europe and Asia, the type is now almost completely gone from our skies and it’s hard to fly on any more.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo of If you head to North Korea as part of organised aviation tours you’ll get the chance to fly on Air Koryo’s classic Tu-154B-2 and -154M aircraft.

ALROSA At the time of writing ALROSA is the only other operator of the TU-154M, and the last commercial airline in Russia to operate the type. The airline is based in Mirny, flying its aircraft regularly to and Pevek. With newer Boeing 737-800s joining the fleet it is only a matter of time before its last Tu-154 is retired.

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Tupolev Tu-204/214

DomodedovoSpotters / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Many took the Tupolev 204 to be Russia’s attempt at competing with the Boeing 757, and it closely resembles the American type. It emerged in 1989 as a possible Tupolev Tu-154 replacement for Soviet airlines, but in retrospect only managed 86 sales.

In 1996 the Tu-204-200, commonly known as the Tu-214, first flew. It offered a higher gross weight and other improvements. A Tu-204SM variant was also offered from 2010, with many improvements to the aircraft. Few are in airline service, however both the Russian government and air force operate a large fleets of the type.

Asia & Middle East

Air Koryo Operates both the Tu-204-100 and 300, which can be flown on if you are on a dedicated aviation tour of North Korea, or flying on the airline’s scheduled link between Beijing and Pyongyang.

Caribbean

Cubana Still has a single Tu-204-120 in passenger configuration which is flown from Havana on various routes, but has been parked for lengthy periods.

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Xian / AVIC MA60

Christian Hanuise [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

China’s turboprop airliner which closely resembles the Antonov An-24, yet was first flown only in February 2000. It is a stretched variant of the Xian Y-7 from the 1970s.

Not a particularly rare aircraft, with production ongoing. Yet it is very much an indigenous airliner to the Asian region, and has never found its way into some of the more mainline carriers. Therefore enthusiasts consider flying one a rarity.

Africa

Air Congo International Based at Brazzaville, Air Congo International has five MA60s in its fleet (one is a VIP aircraft).

Camair-Co The national airline of Cameroon. It has two active MA60s in its fleet which otherwise consists of Western aircraft. The airline operates to domestic destinations and some neighbouring countries.

Massawa Airways A single MA60 is operated by this airline which is based at Massawa, Eritrea. It flies on domestic and regional flights.

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Asia & Middle East

Helitours A Sri Lankan airline operated by the country’s military. It flies two MA60s on the route Colombo – Trincomalee – Jaffna.

Joy Air The largest operator of the type, with over 20 in service and a orders for many more. Based at Xi’an Xianyang Airport in central China and flying domestic routes.

Lao Skyway An airline based at Vientiane in and flying domestic routes. It has three MA60s in its fleet.

Nepal Airlines uses two MA60s on domestic flights from its Kathmandu base.

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Yakovlev Yak-40

Eduard Heisterkamp [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

Dating back to the early days of jet airliners, the Yak-40 was ahead of its time as one of the early commuter jet aircraft, and using three rear-mounted engines.

It could use short runways in more rural locations, feeding passengers into the bigger hub airports, in much the same way Bombardier, British Aerospace and Embraer would later do with their regional jets.

Over 1,000 were built, but precious few remain in service today.

Asia & Middle East

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski Airline A regional airline based at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski in Yelizovo, eastern Russia. It links destinations throughout this part of Siberia. There are two passenger-configured Yak-40s in its fleet.

ZhezAir A small carrier in Kazakhstan with a single Yak-40 in passenger configuration. It is not certain whether this operates on regular schedules.

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Europe

Artel Staratelei Airlnes, a charter carrier based in Khabarovsk, Russia, is a reclusive airline. Nevertheless it flies three examples.

Motor Sich Airlines A Ukrainian airline which operates two Yak-40s in passenger service from Kiev and Zaporizhia. Exact schedules are difficult to ascertain since the airline cancelled many of its routes in 2020.

Severstal Air Company A Russian scheduled carrier with Yak-40s operating on domestic routes out of Cherepovets airport.

Vologda Aviation Enterprise This Russian airline still uses a number of Yak-40s on scheduled domestic routes from its Vologda hub. The easiest to arrange are the routes to Moscow Vnukovo and St Petersburg, which are quite cheap to fly on.

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Yakovlev Yak-42

Dmitriy Pichugin [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)]

The larger brother of the Yak-40, the Yakovlev Yak-42 and -42D were produced between 1979 and 2003. 185 were built.

This was another aircraft with three rear-mounted engines intended for domestic service within Soviet countries. It enjoyed moderate success, with some export sales in Asia, Eastern Europe and Cuba.

Asia & Middle East

KrasAvia Russia’s largest regional airline, based at Krasnoyarsk in eastern Russia. It has a few Yak-42s used on domestic services throughout the Siberia region.

Europe

Izhavia Still flies nine Yak-42s from Airport in central Russia to domestic destinations, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

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Gone But Not Forgotten

These are the classic airliners and aircraft which are now sadly resigned to the history book, at least in terms of flying passengers:

Aerospatiale/BAC The joint British and French supersonic airliner graced the skies over the Atlantic for many years. Plenty of people were sad to see it when both airlines chose to retire the type in 2003.

Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador Many will have fond memories of this piston airliner from the early days of package tours out of Britain. Only 23 were built and flew passenger services until around 1968.

Avro York A sturdy aircraft developed from wartime bombers, the York provided much-needed capacity as airlines grew in the 1940s and 50s. The last examples flew with Dan-Air London and until 1964.

BAC One-Eleven Although some VIP interior aircraft remain in airworthy condition, the last examples in regular passenger service were retired in Africa around 2008-2009. European Aviation was the last UK operator of the type, retiring it in 2002.

Boeing 247 The luxurious, classic airliner which marked significant progress in design and comfort. 75 were built and flew passenger services between 1933 and World War II.

Boeing 307 Stratoliner The world's first pressurised airliner, developed from wartime bomber designs. It flew with the legacy carriers in the USA. The last know example in commercial service was retired in 1974.

Boeing 707 Soldiered on until 2014 in the service of Iranian airline Saha Air. Some government and private operators fly the Boeing 707, but not in passenger service.

Boeing 727 One of the best-selling airliners of all time, yet none fly passengers any more since Iran Aseman Airlines retired the type in 2019. Some still fly cargo and as VIP transports.

Boeing 720 The baby of the Boeing 707 family was almost immediately replaced when the came along. Nevertheless, it soldiered on in passenger service until 1995 when retired it. VIP and testbed examples flew on until 2010.

Boeing 737-100 This, the original model of one of the most successful airliners of all time, was only built in small numbers. The last passenger-carrying examples flew with AeroContinente in , around 2000, and in the USA in 1999.

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Boeing 747-100/200 The original model of the “Jumbo Jet” carried on in passenger service until January 2014 when the final operator, Iran Air, retired its last example EP-IAM. Iran Air was also the last operator of the -200 variant. A failed attempt to start transatlantic 747-200 services by Baltia Airlines recently came to nothing.

Boeing 747SP Iran Air has continued to resurrect its 747SP ‘special performance’ aircraft on numerous occasions over recent years. There may even be a chance to fly it again in the future. However, new aircraft deliveries will surely now keep it grounded.

Bristol Britannia One of the most respected and capable turobprop airliners ever produced, the Britannia sadly came too late as jet airliners were beginning to enter service and airlines looked to this new technology instead of what was seen as more dated. Cubana were the last airline to operate the type in passenger configuration, retiring it in 1990.

British Aerospace ATP The BAe ATP was the Advanced TurboProp, a British commuter airliner developed in the 1980s. Examples still fly as freighters, but the last passenger examples were flown by NextJet in 2018.

Convair 880 Never achieving its goal of competing with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, only 65 were built. The last passenger service of the was in 1974.

Convair 990 The lengthier version of the 880, the Convair 990 enjoyed even less success with only 37 examples being built. The last passenger flight took place in 1987.

Dassault Mercure France’s home-built passenger jet was ahead of its time and never really captured the market that Airbus and Boeing would soon dominate. It only flew for Air Inter, who retired the type in 1995.

De Havilland Comet Although it can be argued the Comet flew until 2011 in the form of the RAF's Nimrod aircraft, the original variants – designated the 1, 2 and 4 (only one example of a Comet 3 was built) were retired much earlier. Dan-Air London became famous for buying up as many Comet 4's as they could during the 1970s to supplement their growing charter services. Thus, the airline was the last to fly a passenger-carrying Comet flight in November 1980.

Douglas DC-6 Springbok Classic Air operated a Douglas DC-6 until fairly recently. Any remaining airworthy examples are likely to be found in Alaska flying supplies.

Douglas DC-7 Legendary Airlines restored and operated the last passenger-carrying DC-7B N836D in Fly colours until 2013 when its airworthiness certificate expired. Whether it will ever return to flying remains to be seen.

Douglas DC-8 Airline passenger service on the DC-8 ended in the mid-1990s with MGM Grand Air and Air Marshall

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Islands, although cargo carrier ATI did operate until recently. All are now retired.

Fokker F27 Whilst it’s still feasible that there are F27s flying occasional passenger services in Africa or Argentina, it is thought that no aircraft remain in regular passenger operation. Even cargo examples are few and far between.

Fokker F28 Again, it is thought that at least one F28 is still active in Kenya flying occasional passenger services on domestic or regional routes, it is not thought to be easy to plan or book this. Other airworthy examples remain in government operation.

Hawker Siddeley HS.121 Trident The last Tridents to fly were retired in the early 1990s when Air China and CAAC sent their examples to training schools and museums. The last flights in the UK occurred on 31st December 1985.

Hawker Siddeley/BAe/Avro 748 After many years of service in the Canadian wilderness, retired its final passenger-carrying examples of this aircraft in 2017. No other operators remain.

Ilyushin IL-14 This workhorse of Soviet and Eastern European skies was affectionately known as the 'Crate'. It worked for passenger, military and cargo operators from its introduction in 1954. Some examples remain airworthy, but none have carried passengers regularly since the early 1980s.

Ilyushin IL-86 , later Aeroflot-Don, was the last operator of the IL-86 in passenger service. A few Russian Air Force examples are thought to be active.

Junkers Ju52 One of the most important early airliners. The Ju 52 hailed from Germany and was flown by many airlines. It soldiered on in heritage organisations until a deadly crash in 2018 saw the type grounded.

Lockheed L-188 Electra This large, modern turboprop was built from 1957 and operated around the world. The last types in regular passenger service were with VARIG in Brazil, and retired in 1992. Reeve Aleutian also operated some examples until 2001 with passenger interiors. Cargo examples remain in operation.

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar Several examples remained in sporadic use with smaller charter operators in the developing world, alongside the ’s tanker and troop transport fleet, which was retired in 2014. Talks of resurrecting this fleet have so far come to nothing.

Lockheed Constellation The Constellation and Super Constellation were iconic piston airliners which flew all over the world with the big airlines. One airworthy example exists in Australia, but rarely flies passengers. Other recent attempts to restore examples to flight seem to have halted.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The infamous three-holer remained in service until February 2014, when final carrier Biman Bangladesh retired it. A series of enthusiast flights were held to mark the occasion.

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McDonnell Douglas MD-11 KLM was the last operator of the MD-11 in passenger service. It was retired in November 2014 with a number of enthusiast flights from Amsterdam Schiphol. Various examples still fly as freighters around the world.

NAMC YS-11 The Japanese passenger turboprop remained popular in the Philippines with some smaller carriers into the 2000s. All passenger examples have now been retired.

Sud Aviacion SE.210 Caravelle The last scheduled flights of the Caravelle were operated by Gabon Express until the airline went bankrupt in June 2004.

Tupolev Tu-104 One of the classic Soviet designs, and one of the earliest jet airliners to enter service. The type only flew with Aeroflot, and was retired from passenger service in 1979.

Tupolev Tu-114 Once the largest and fastest passenger airliner in service, the Tu-114 was distinguished by its twin sets of blades on each engine. The type was superseded by the Ilyushin IL-62 in 1976, and thus its life was cut short despite an enviable safety and performance record.

Tupolev Tu-144 The Soviet Union's answer to the Concorde and supersonic travel emerged in the shape of the Tu- 144, or 'Concordski', as it became known. It lacked commercial appeal and only 55 flights were operated with passengers on board, retiring in 1979. Some occasional flights were operated into the 1980s, but purely for government charter or positioning flights.

Vickers VC10 The Vickers VC10's limited career with passenger airlines ended with British Airways in 1981. After this, many of the remaining examples went to the Royal Air Force as tanker and troop transport aircraft. All were retired in September 2013.

Vickers Vanguard Invicta Air Transport are believed to be the last airline to use the Vanguard in passenger service during the late 1970s. After this, the type enjoyed a renaissance as the ‘Merchantmant’ cargo carrier, but now all examples are grounded.

Vickers Viscount The last Viscounts to fly in the UK were retired in 1997 by British World Airlines. Passenger-carrying examples remained in service in Africa for a further few years.

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