The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 made its final scheduled passenger journey today…sort of. The flight was operated by Bangladesh Biman Airlines and the aircraft will now remain grounded in standby mode while awaiting the arrival of its successor, a new Boeing B777-300ER and eventual shipment to an undisclosed aviation museum in the United States. Production of the DC-10 officially ended in 1989. Check out the cool graphic below from A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge.
This wide body jet has worn the livery of many fine airlines around the world. Did your airline fly this jet?
There will be one more special passenger flight for DC-10 fans. From CNN:
In February 2014, Biman Bangladesh Airlines plans to fly passengers from the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka to Birmingham, England, on its retired DC-10, one last time. It’s “a fitting end for an aircraft that has served Biman loyally and well over many years,” states the airline, which plans to start selling tickets for this special bonus voyage on its website by early January. “We want these tickets to go to genuine aviation enthusiasts,” says Biman CEO Kevin Steele on the company’s news page, adding that some short scenic flights out of Birmingham might also be added to the DC-10 farewell tour, depending on public demand. What’s the projected demand? No word on that yet.
McDonnell Douglas’s famous (and at times infamous) jetliner logged its maiden voyage for passengers on August 5, 1971, on an American Airlines round trip between Los Angeles and Chicago. At the time, the plane filled an industry need for an innovative aircraft smaller than a 747 with long-range capabilities that could serve airports with shorter runways. A staple of several major airlines over four decades — McDonnell Douglas produced its 446th, and last, DC-10 in 1989 for Nigeria Airways.
American Airlines Introduces the DC-10 – 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJFk_laZ3No
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2 comments
Bittersweet. Came to America for the first time with Biman on DC-10 way back in 90s. Routing was Zyl-Dac-Ccu-Bru-JFK. Got to fly it couple of times more after that.
It doesn’t appear to be the last scheduled service (see: http://airlineroute.net/2013/12/07/bg-d10update4/ ) but I love your post. This is a special aircraft.