Mike Gammon <jmgammon@sympatico.ca> wrote:
>I figured if any aircraft could match the DC-9 for longevity it
>had to be a Russian model like an IL18 or TU134. I guess an AN24
>would qualify!
Why go Russian? Pakistan International Airlines took delivery
of their first Fokker F-27 Friendship in January 1961 and they
are still operating the type. There has been some attrition over
the years, so unfortunately their first one is no longer with us.
But as of Spring 1999 they were still operating AP-ALW which
entered service in October 1961. The next oldest one would be
AP-ATU of which they took delivery in August 1965. They do have
some airframes which are even older than these, but they were
acquired on the second hand market.
Although PIA have been planning to replace the type for many
years, as of this writing the F-27 is still the workhorse on the
rural routes in Pakistan. They have retired some of the older
airframes in recent years, but I have no details at hand at
the moment. But AP-ALW reached at least 37 years with the same
operator, and maybe over 40 by now.
Kees de Lezenne Coulander
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C.M. de Lezenne Coulander
Aircraft Development and Systems Engineering B.V.
Hoofddorp, The Netherlands
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