February 2022 will mark 40 years since the first flight of Boeing’s famous 757 family.
The US planemaker produced more than 1,000 examples of this twinjet design between 1981
and 2004.
Over half of these remain active today, with their ages spanning a relatively wide range.
Let’s take a look at the lower end of the scale to see which are the youngest.
The youngest of the lot According to data from ch-aviation.com, there
are presently 539 active examples of aircraft from across the Boeing 757 family.
Of these, 50 are yet to reach their 20th birthday.
The very youngest of these is a 757-200 that belongs to Atlanta-based US legacy carrier
and SkyTeam founding member Delta Air Lines.
It bears the registration N822DX.
The data from ch-aviation shows that this aircraft is just 16.99 years old.
This makes for a striking contrast when compared to the oldest active Boeing 757s.
As Simple Flying explored last year, some of these are closing in on 40 years of service.
N822DX was the 1,049th of the 1,050 757s that Boeing produced over a 23-year cycle spanning
from 1981 to 2004.
The plane began its career in China.
Having first flown in October 2004, it entered service with Shanghai Airlines in March 2005.
It has flown for Delta since April 2016, and sports a three-class 193-seat configuration.
According to data from RadarBox.com, Delta deploys it both domestically and on international
flights to Reykjavík from its Minneapolis base.
Delta’s other youthful 757s As it happens, Delta is a key operator when
it comes to teenage Boeing 757s.
All in all, the carrier accounts for 24 of the 50 of these twinjets that haven’t yet
reached two decades of flying.
Admittedly, the oldest of these is very close to hitting the 20-year mark.
Clocking in at 19.97 years old, this ex-Northwest Airlines jet bears the registration N554NW.
Delta is also a rare operator of the stretched Boeing 757-300.
Of its 24 active teenage 757s, two thirds (totaling 16 aircraft) are examples of the
so-called ‘flying pencil.’
These range from 18.01 years old (N596NW) to 19.62 years old (N581NW).
As their registration suffixes suggest, both of these stretched aircraft began their careers
at Northwest Airlines.
Young cargo 757s Nine of the 50 active teenage Boeing 757s
are examples of the 727-200PCF variant.
This suffix stands for Precision Converted Freighter.
According to Cargo Facts, 120 of these conversions from existing passenger 757s had taken place
as of April 2020.
This process reportedly costs in the region of $5 million, and allows the aircraft to
carry 15 pallets.
The youngest of these converted cargo aircraft is, in fact, the second youngest of the world’s
current active 757 family aircraft.
It bears the registration B-2862, and flies for YTO Cargo Airlines out of Hangzhou, China.
Before its conversion in June 2021, this 17.15-year-old jet had flown passengers in China for Xiamen
Airlines since from 2004 to 2018.
YTO Cargo Airlines also operates a second teenage 757 freighter.
This 19.35-year-old aircraft is registered as B-2830, and first flew passengers for China
Xinjiang Airlines in 2002.
Elsewhere in China, SF Airlines operates three teenage Boeing 757-200PCFs.
These jets are 17.64, 18.52, and 18.62 years old, and they all started their careers at
First Choice Airways.
The remaining four 757 freighters that are below 20 years old all fly for either DHL
or its German partner European Air Transport Leipzig.
These yellow-liveried aircraft are at the older end of the teenage spectrum, ranging
from 19.57 to 19.73 years old.
United’s youthful flying pencils Chicago-based Star Alliance founding member
United Airlines is another important carrier when it comes to the world’s youngest active
Boeing 757s.
It has 15 757s in its fleet that are below 20 years old, meaning that it and fellow US
‘big three’ carrier Delta account for 78% of all active teenage 757s.
Interestingly, all 15 are examples of the stretched 757-300.
These aircraft make up the bulk of United’s 21-aircraft 757-300 fleet.
This group of aircraft as a whole is 19.1 years old on average, making them considerably
younger than its standard 757-200s.
Indeed, these twinjets, of which United has 51, are 25 years old on average.
United’s 15 active 757-300s that are below 20 years old vary considerably when it comes
to age.
The youngest, and sixth-youngest overall when it comes to active 757s worldwide, bears the
registration N56859.
Aged 17.51 years old, it joined Continental Airlines in April 2004, before moving to United
Airlines in November 2011 when the carriers merged.
Meanwhile, United’s oldest active teenage 757-300 clocks in at 19.85 years of age.
Registered as N75851, this jet is also an ex-Continental aircraft, which first flew
in November 2001.
RadarBox data shows that its most recent flight took it from Denver to Chicago.
Two more European examples This leaves just two of the 50 teenage active
757s that we are yet to have covered.
Of these, the youngest is a 19.5-year-old 757-200 that flies for Russian charter carrier
Azur Air.
It bears the registration VQ-BEY, and seats 238 passengers in an all-economy layout.
Data from ch-aviation shows that this twinjet entered service with Finnair in April 2002.
It then moved to Russia in 2010, where it joined UT Air in May that year.
It has been at Azur since May 2015.
RadarBox data shows that it has recently been flying from various Russian cities to Antalya,
Turkey.
Its most recent flight took it there from Kaliningrad this morning.
Elsewhere in Europe, one of Icelandair’s two Boeing 757-300s is also yet to reach its
20th birthday.
Registered as TF-FIX, this twinjet has been with the Icelandair flag carrier for its entire
career.
It joined the airline in March 2002, having first flown a month earlier.
According to SeatGuru, Icelandair’s 757-300s have 194 economy class seats, and 22 in its
‘Saga’ business class cabin.
Data from RadarBox shows that TF-FIX flew from Alicante to Reykjavík yesterday afternoon.
This afternoon, it is set to fly to Denver.
This will be its first transatlantic voyage since September 24th, when it returned from
Toronto.
Are you a fan of the Boeing 757?
What are your best memories of flying on the type?
Let us know your thoughts and experiences in
the comments!