✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers
Verified codes to save on your next trip.
Today we will talk about the planes that are older or "older" and that are still in operation flying around the world.
Many times on social networks you read comments that X airline's planes "are old" or that plane is bad because "it is old.", but when is an old plane considered?
as we have seen, should never judge a plane by its age, factor that is not decisive to consider it good, safe the beautiful, it's just a number, in aviation there are other factors.
Cycles and flight hours, are the numbers that matter and that will determine how long a plane can fly. For example, an airplane that was built in 1980, but it has few flight hours and cycles, I could keep flying until 40 or more years, while a plane 2010, in a period of 12 years could already have fulfilled its useful life of cycles and flight hours, interesting, right?
as we see, everything is in the use that the airlines give to the planes and in their responsible maintenance, not on the date of your first flight or age.
Older or older aircraft still flying
After reviewing some important data that allows us to better understand that an airplane cannot be derogatorily called "old" just because of its age or first flight., it is time to review the list of the oldest aircraft that are still flying around the world.
It is important to note that this list is as up-to-date as possible based on information from various sources and in this pandemic period of time., some of them could have already stopped flying without our knowledge or could be reactivated later:
| Airplane | First flight | Years | |
| 1 | Bleriot XI | 1909 | 114 |
| 2 | Douglas C-47 Skytrain HK-1315 | 1942 | 81 |
| 3 | Douglas C-53C Skytrooper | 1943 | 80 |
| 4 | Lockheed L-188 Electra C-FBAQ Buffalo Airways | 1959 | 64 |
| 5 | Lockheed L-188 Electra C-FBAQ Buffalo Airways | 1960 | 63 |
| 6 | Lockheed L-188 Electra C-FBAQ Buffalo Airways | 1962 | 61 |
| 7 | Douglas DC-9-30 TSM XA-VFS Aircraft | 1967 | 56 |
| 8 | Douglas DC-9-30 TSM XA-UPS Aircraft | 1969 | 54 |
| 9 | Boeing 747-100 Iran Air Force | 1969 | 54 |
| 10 | Boeing 737-200 Peruvian Air Force FAP354 | 1970 | 53 |
| 11 | Boeing E-8C | 1970 | 53 |
| 12 | Twin Otter F-OIJI | 1970 | 53 |
| 13 | DC10-30CF Project Orbis | 1973 | 50 |
| 14 | Boeing 737-200 (G-GNLK) Nolinor Aviation | 1974 | 49 |
| 15 | Boeing 737-200 Conviasa | 1976 | 47 |
| 16 | Boeing 737-200 Nolinor C-GNLK | 1976 | 47 |
| 17 | Boeing 737-200 Nolinor C-GNLE | 1977 | 46 |
| 18 | Boeing 737-200 Venezuelan | 1978 | 45 |
| 19 | Boeing 747-200 Caspian Airlines | 1978 | 45 |
| 20 | Boeing 737-200 Air Inuit | 1979 | 44 |
| 21 | Boeing 747SP Saudia Arabian Royal Flight | 1979 | 44 |
| 22 | Boeing 737-200 Air Inuit’s C-GMAI | 1980 | 43 |
| 23 | Airbus A300B2 Iran Air | 1980 | 43 |
| 24 | Boeing 737-200 Ecuadorian Air Force FAE630 | 1980 | 43 |
| 25 | Boeing 727-200 Mexican National Guard XC-NPF | 1981 | 42 |
| 26 | Boeing 737-200 Nolinor C-GNLN | 1983 | 40 |
| 27 | Boeing 767-200 Eastern Airlines | 1984 | 39 |
| 28 | Iran Air Airbus A300 EP-IBG | 1986 | 37 |
| 29 | Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-200 N605KW | 1986 | 38 |
| 30 | Boeing 757-200 Delta Airlines | 1987 | 37 |
| 31 | Boeing 757-200 Jet2 | 1987 | 38 |
| 32 | Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-200 N603KW | 1987 | 36 |
| 33 | Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-200 N602KW | 1987 | 36 |
| 34 | De Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Air Inuit | 1988 | 35 |
| 35 | Mahan Air Airbus A300 EP-MNG | 1989 | 34 |
| 36 | Iran Airtour Airbus A300 EP-MNI | 1989 | 34 |
| 37 | Aeroregional 737-400 HC-CXU | 1989 | 33 |
| 38 | Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-200 N604KW | 1990 | 33 |
Surely there are other airplanes older or close in age to those published here that are flying on some airlines., air forces, aeroclubes, rebuilt the museums, but that your information could not be obtained or is not public. So if you have any additional information, you can leave it in the comments.
Would you fly in a plane at these ages or have you ever flown in one? tell me in the comments.
✈️ Exclusive Benefits for Readers
Search here for hotels ALL over the world at the best price.
There are some clamps that can fly 25, z.b. the D-EBMX at BMW, the oldest German aircraft still capable of flying (1927) or the D-EJOL at the LSG Hanns Klemm in Eutingen making its first flight 1934 had.
Awesome information, thank you!
Bolivian airlines
How old are they on average??
the dc3 of villavicencio colombia still fly in the colombian plains
How old are you?
Hello there! very good report. At 2020 was in Ezeiza (and then left for Peru) and Antonov AN 12 by Cavok Air with 49 year old. It passed very high by my city (Córdoba) and I felt its noise, although I couldn't locate it visually.
Sure those engines sound unlike anything you've heard before.
Uuuuhhh friend thanks. Well I think I've flown in the 737-200 of Venezuelan and conviasa….I had already noticed the wrinkles…
They are wrinkles of experience
Boeing 737-200 de AVIATSA HR-MRZ, have 39 years of service. His first flight was in March 1983.
excellent data! thanks for including it.
Interesting, you could do a similar article with the oldest aircraft with Ecuadorian registration that are in operation?
Hi Gabi, yes it could be an interesting topic, sure there are many smaller aviation planes with several years still operating.