Just came back from the Philippines and saw Air Philippines' B.737-222 RP-C2021 still in very active service.
This particular aircraft, according to JP Airline Fleets, has c/n 19039 and fuselage no. 6, was built in 1967 and is thus 35 years old. It was delivered to United as N9001U !
It must be the oldest 737 still in active scheduled service, unless Aero Continente's OB-1745 (B737-130, ex Lufthansa, c/n 19014 , fus.no. 3) is still flying.
Don't know how long RP-C2021 will still be flying, since some of her youngers sisters with Air Philippines have been withdrawn and replaced by ex Philippine Airlines B737-300s.
I guess there are only a few DC9s and B727-100s around that are older and still fly in scheduled service.
Any comments ?

MSN 19014
Line number : 3
Model : B737-130
Powerplant : JT8D-7B
In Service Date : 12/27/67
Operator : AERO CONTINENTE (Peru)

As of Feb 2002 it's still shown as operational. Line number 1 is in museum and line number 2 is scrapped.

TechRep

TechRep - Line Number 6 was in fact the first 737 to enter service (in Spetember 1967). I don't think many people realise the -200 entered service before the -100!

V/F

Actually RP-C2021 is not that old based on hours and cycles. As of 9/30/01 it has 62299 hours and 64691 cycles.
In comparison Southwest Airlines has 737-200s built as late as 1981 with 66000hours and 73000cycles.
In term of hours Lan Chile leads with a example with over 91000hours while Vanguard leads in the cycles with a example with over 90000 landings.
The B737 is a true work horse.

In the developed world, could it be Ryanair that has the oldest operational 737's?

TechRep > There are conflicting reports on the older 737 OB-1745 (line nr 3) of Aero Continente. It is last seen at Opa Locka in Aug. 2001. So it was either scrapped very quickly (not seen later) or returned to service in Peru. As this is a very historical aircraft (final flying 737-100, oldest flying 737), please can anyone at Opa-Locka or Peru confirm sightings or fate since August??

Laxintl, where can one pick up the figures you quoted? I would be very interested to know what sort of hours the 737-200's of SAA have done and what sort of age they are.

OB-1745 stored Santiago de Chile (all white)

there you go

migman

SAA's B737-200 fleet is quite young in the hours department. Average would be in the low 40000's with cycles about in the high 30000's.
On the other hand SAA has some of the highest hour B747's in the industry with all 5 -200s having over 100000 hours.
I have access to the data via my job.

In the developed world, could it be Ryanair that has the oldest operational 737's?

Surprisingly, no. FR's oldest 732 came off the line in 1980 and their newest 732 was manufactured in 1987. Might not seem like it though....

Laxintl: this will maybe be a little of topic, but can you get the exact hrs/cycles on a a/c if you get its reg#?

And do anybody have any idea of which 731/732 (in daily service) that have the lowest hrs and cycles?

tg 747-300?