Boeing 747SP - Operators - Former Operators

Former Operators

Air Atlanta Iceland : operated airframe MSN 21962 from 03/Aug/1997-23/May/1999. Using it on charter and adhoc flight to include ... The rolling stones world tour, Presidential campaign for ex US Bill Clinton.

• Aerolineas Argentinas operated a single aircraft.
• Air China got the 747SP under the former name CAAC and used the type for Pacific routes, including to open its first route to USA: Beijing – Seattle. Later, the type was also used for service to Vancouver and New York from Beijing, the aircraft continued flying with rebranded Air China throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
• Air Gulf Falcon was a Sharjah based charter airline which acquired a single ex-Mandarin Airlines aircraft amongst other 747 versions in 1999, the company shut down in early 2000s, its not known if the 747SP was operated anywhere during the period, it was sold off to a now defunct cargo airline Kinshasa Airways, and painted with the airlines logo and titles, it remains stored in Sharjah.
• Air Mauritius using former South African Airways aircraft for nonstop long-haul routes such as Mauritius to Hong Kong.
• Air Namibia operated two fromer South African Airways aircraft during the 1990s one each in their previous and current liveries.
• Alliance Air a joint venture airline set up by South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda operated a single South African Airways aircraft during the 1990s.
• American Airlines purchased two used airframes from TWA (N601AA and N602AA) in the late 1980s to begin their Dallas-Fort Worth to Tokyo service. The aircraft had a premium configuration with 29 first class, 79 business class and 79 economy class seats, with two stand-up bars in the business class cabin. These aircraft were later moved to serve New York to London and New York to Brussels routes while AA awaited the deliveries of additional MD-11s. One of the aircraft was sold to Kazakhstan Airlines and later scrapped, while the other was sold to the government of the United Arab Emirates and then to evangelist Ernest Angley.
• Avia Airlines the short lived South African carrier operated a single leased SAA aircraft on the Johannesburg-London Gatwick route during mid 1990's.
• Braniff took delivery of 3 747SPs for their ultra-long haul routes in the Pacific and South America. They were fitted with 300 seats in a luxurious cabin and an all-orange exterior. Of the three planes, as of August 2006, one has been scrapped and one is in VIP service with Yemen government. The third was formerly in VIP service with the Oman government, but was sold to the owners of Fry's Electronics, sometimes used to carry tours of Ballet San Jose.
• China Airlines used the type on its non-stop routes from Taipei to San Francisco, Los Angeles and to Australia via Melbourne and Sydney.
• Corsairfly using former South African Airways aircraft.
• Iraqi Airways operated a single aircraft for the Government from 1982 uptil 1990.
• Kazakhstan Airlines operated a single aircraft commercially and for the Government.
• Kinshasa Airways a defunct cargo airline, acquired a single aircraft from Sharjah based charter outfit Air Gulf Falcon in early 2000s, the aircraft remains stored in Sharjah and has never flown despite being painted in the airlines livery and undergone occasional engine runs.
• Korean Air operated the type on routes from Seoul to various destinations in USA and Europe.
• LAM Mozambique Airlines operated a single South African Airways Boeing 747SP-44 (ZS-SPF) for a while.

• Luxair in cooperation with Trek Airways, on the Luxembourg-Nairobi-Johannesburg route.
• Mandarin Airlines operated the 747SP aircraft on routes from Taipei to Australia in the mid-1990s.
• Pan Am the launch customer, took delivery of ten 747SP-21 aircraft between 1976 and 1979, operating them on trans-Pacific routes to Asia (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore) and Oceania (Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland) as well as nonstop New York-Bahrain service, the aircraft were later sold off to United Airlines.
• RAM Royal Air Maroc had one 747-SP in use, namely the CN-RMS.
• South African Airways operated six 747SP-44 aircraft on flights from Johannesburg to London and other European destinations during the apartheid years, when that airline's aircraft were not allowed to fly over African countries and had to fly around the Bulge of Africa. The extra range allowed the aircraft to cover the additional distance nonstop. On April 1, 1977, South African Airways inaugurated the first direct 747SP flight between London and Cape Town (flight SA 867), the return northbound flight SA 866 only stopping over at Ilha do Sal. This route became a weekly service on Fridays and Saturdays. The sole remaining South African Airways 747SP – the "Maluti" – was decommissioned on September 30, 2006 with a final flight to Rand Airport where it will remain on show as a static display/museum aircraft. (This final transport flight was the aircraft's first flight in three years.)
• TWA operated three 747SP-31 aircraft from 1979 to 1986. These aircraft were intended for long distance routes to the Middle East which never materialized. Instead, they flew on regular red-eye flights between Los Angeles and Boston, as well as international flights to Paris. Two of these were purchased by American Airlines (see below); the third was purchased by the government of the United Arab Emirates and later by Las Vegas Sands.

• Qantas operated two 747SP-38 aircraft from 1980 to 2004. These aircraft were used for flights between Australia and Wellington, due to Wellington's short runway but still able to meet passenger number requirements, as well as service from Sydney to Nagoya, stopping in Cairns, and transpacific service between Sydney and Los Angeles. They were equipped with Rolls-Royce engines, unlike most other 747SPs. Both aircraft have been scrapped.
• Saudia In 1981 Saudia received the first of two 747SP. One year later the airline received its second 747SP. On July 1, 1981, the first nonstop service was inaugurated from Jeddah to New York with its 747SP aircraft. This service, along with the Riyadh-New York service introduced later. Saudi Arabian Airlines Royal Flight division continue operating the type.
• Syrian Air had two aircraft, they were phased out of service in 2009 but were brought back and overhauled in 2010, both are currently inactive.
• Tajik Air operated a single aircraft for a short while.
• Trek Airways leased from South African Airways.
• United Airlines acquired the 747SP from Pan Am in 1986, and remained in operation until 1994, where they were used on United flights to London, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.