The 757 entered service in 1983, and more than 1,000 were delivered over the next 20 years.
It has been a great success for Boeing and popular with many airlines, in particular with its long
range and versatile operation in hot, dry, and high locations. Production ended in 2004,
and it is now disappearing from airline fleets, with no real replacement options.
By the 1970s, Boeing had started to see strong success with its jets. The Boeing 707 is widely
credited as the first successful aircraft of the jet age (the Comet was the first,
but several problems held it back). And the Boeing 727 had done very well for Boeing,
opening up new options for jets on shorter routes and at smaller airports. Until the
1990s, it was the most produced jet aircraft (until the 737 took over).
Boeing, and operating airlines, wanted a successor to the popular 727. There was a desire for greater
capacity, and one of the first proposals was to stretch the 727. But airlines were
also interested in efficiency, with a preference for two engines instead of the three-engine 727.
This would lower operating costs, and ultimately led to the new clean-sheet design of the 757.
Although it was a replacement for the 727, much of its design and inspiration came from the larger
767. Development of the 767 had started earlier, so the 757 ended up ‘borrowing’ from its design.
This saved time and cost and is not uncommon in aircraft development.
Similarities included the two-person cockpit and much of the interior fittings.
Five aircraft were involved in a seven-month test program.
This proceeded with surprisingly few delays and led to an increase in the range quoted.
It received its FAA certification in December 1982 and UK CAA certification in January 1983.
The first aircraft entered service with Eastern Airlines on January 1st, 1983.
The 757-200F cargo variant followed soon and entered service in 1987 with UPS. Overall,
80 freighters were ordered, with FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, and SF Airlines in China the main
operators. There is also a 757-200 Combi freight version for combined passenger and cargo use.
Nepal Airlines was the only new customer for this in 1986.
In 2001, Boeing launched a passenger to freight conversion version – with passenger facilities
removed, cargo door added, and the fuselage floor strengthened. The first aircraft to be
converted were retiring 757-200s from British Airways. This conversion has been popular
since – according to data from ch-aviation.com, there have been 128 conversions to date.
The 757-300 stretched the fuselage by just over seven meters. Capacity was
increased to a maximum of 295 (from an exit maximum of 239 for the 757-200).
Typical capacity though was 243, up from 200. The 757-300, though, was not a great success,
with only 55 aircraft built. The increased size led to a reduction in range, and it ended up
as a fairly niche offering. The widebody 767 offered a greater capacity than the 757-200,
without compromising on range. But the 757 could access smaller airports. It also came late in the
development of the 757 (the 757-200 had been in service for 16 years when the -300 launched).
The 757 is known for its range and its performance in hot and dry and high-altitude environments.
This makes it a very capable and versatile aircraft that has suited many airlines well.
The 757-200 offers a range of 3,915 NM (7,250 kilometers).
This is much higher than other narrowbodies. For comparison, the 737-800 has a range of 2,930
NM (5,765 kilometers) – and also a lower typical passenger capacity of 162 versus 200.
The newer and larger 737 MAX 10 still falls short of the 757 on range.
With this range, the 757 can easily handle US coast-to-coast flights as well as offering
transatlantic narrowbody routes. Icelandair has even operated it on a few one-off flights
from Reykjavik (KEF) to San Francisco (SFO) – a distance of 3,653 NM (6,765 kilometers).
In more regular service, Delta Air Lines has operated the 757-200 between Atlanta and Brasilia,
Brazil – a route of 3,542 NM (6,560 kilometers). Its performance has also set it apart from other
narrowbodies. Importantly, it has a higher thrust-to-weight ratio. It can operate from
shorter runways, with a lower take-off speed, and has higher performance in thin air environments.
With this performance, US airlines have been able to schedule it widely, including hot,
dry, or high altitude airports such as Denver and Bogota. It can also serve smaller runway airports,
giving it a big advantage over widebodies such as the 767 (and even the 737 at some locations).
One interesting side-effect of its design is that it produces powerful wingtip vortices
(more in some cases than 767 or 747).
This has reduced somewhat with winglets, but the 757 is classified as ‘heavy’ by air traffic
controllers to acknowledge the impact of this and the aircraft spacing required.
The 757 has been especially popular with US airlines, with all of the major legacy airlines
(American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines) operating it. American
Airlines operated the largest fleet of 142 (including many acquired from TWA).
It retired them in 2020 amidst pandemic-related fleet simplification.
Following American’s retirement, Delta Air Lines became (and remains) the largest 757 operator.
As of June 2021, it still operates 127 aircraft. United Airlines still operates 72.
The 757 remains a popular freighter option, which is likely to outlast passenger use. FedEx Express
operates 109 aircraft, UPS Airlines operates 75, DHL Air operates 23, and Chinese SF Airlines 36.
The 757-200 has also seen plenty of specialized uses. It has been
a popular choice for government use, used for presidential transport by Mexico, Argentina,
Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, and the US. While the US Air Force modified 747s that serve as
Air Force One are more famous, the government fleet also includes 757s (with designator C-32).
These serve as ‘Air Force Two’ when carrying the Vice President – but also
are used by the President. The aging 757s (between 22 and 30 years old) were due to
be replaced, but this has been halted. NASA previously used a 757 for its ARIES
(Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System) program for safety and operations research. And
the New Zealand Air Force operates two converted Combi aircraft for transport and VIP use.
The 757 boomed in the early 1990s, with more than 100 aircraft being delivered each year at peak.
This had slowed by the early 200s. And the events of 9/11 and the slowdown in aviation followed
significantly reduced demand for the 757 (with smaller widebodies becoming more popular).
Orders being swapped to the 737 (most notably from Continental Airlines in 2003) sealed its fate.
Production of the 757 ended in 2004, and Boeing delivered the final aircraft in November
2005 to Shanghai Airlines – the 1,050th 757 built.
The 757 has suffered several earlier than planned retirements during the pandemic. As
already discussed, this saw the early retirement of American Airlines’ fleet, amongst others.
As of June 2021, 508 aircraft remain in use with 46 carriers. With aircraft aging, there could
well be more retirements before we are fully out of the pandemic, but we are likely to see
the 757 in service for some time. Delta has not confirmed further retirement plans as yet. United
Airlines is more likely to retire aircraft with orders for A321XLR aircraft set to replace them.
Boeing ended production of the 757 without developing a direct replacement.
The 737 MAX offers neither the range nor the hot and short-field performance of the 757
(although it does improve efficiency). Many view this as quite a loss for Boeing.
The upcoming A321XLR is being seen by some airlines as a good replacement option.
It will offer an impressive range of up to 4,700 NM (8,700 kilometers), taking narrowbody flying
further than ever before. But it won’t match the 757s performance in hot and high environments.
American Airlines was one of the first airlines to opt for the A321XLR,
and it has 50 aircraft on order – likely to take up many of the old 757 routes.
United is doing similar, also with 50 aircraft on order.
As for Boeing, there’s still no confirmed replacement. There has been discussion of
a 757X that would re-engine the 757 and offer similar specifications, but no plans from Boeing.
It was denied as a possibility in 2020, largely due to the 757s high production cost.
The Boeing New Midsize Aircraft (NMA), also dubbed the 797, was originally seen
as a replacement for the 757 (but most likely as a widebody). The idea had seen interest from United
(a major Boeing customer) and Delta Air Lines, Qantas, and Icelandair.
NMA plans were dropped in 2020 though, with attention and funds diverted by ongoing 737 MAX
issues, as well as the pandemic. The launch of the A321XLR also led to a
re-think of what should be offered. There are plenty of options for
where Boeing could go next. Re-visiting 757X ideas, a similar re-engined 767X,
a return to 787-3 plans, or a new clean-sheet narrowbody are all possible. No doubt it will
launch something soon or risk Airbus taking over more of the market. Whether this will offer the
same features as the 757 remains to be seen. The 757 remains a great aircraft but clearly
falling out of favor as other options improve. Feel free to
discuss its highlights and your thoughts on any future replacement in the comments.