R2rho From Germany, joined Feb 2007, 2279 posts, RR: 1 Posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 1881 times:
Last time I was in MAD, I saw two 747s sitting outside IB's big hangar on the south of the airport. I was wondering, when were these last 747s retired? And why are they sitting around there? Can they find no potential buyers? I'm sure some Eastern European or South American airline would take them, or somebody may want them for freighter conversion. Anyone know anything on their status?
And while we're at it, what will happen to its 757s? It's a shame they're being retired although with their large A320 family fleet I guess it makes sense. I know the Mad Dogs will be retired in 2008 to be substituted by new Airbus aircraft. I assume they will be scrapped?
RAFVC10 From Spain, joined Sep 2005, 1980 posts, RR: 7 Reply 1, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 1821 times:
Last Iberia 747 was retired in July 2006, when the TF-AMB (Boeing 747-412) wet-leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic was returned to his owner.
If I don't remember bad, last flight came from TFN.
Actually, there are 5 Boeing 747-200 stored at La Muñoza in a not airworthy conditions to fly again. Awaiting its fate, maybe this year will wfu.
Answering your question about Boeing 757, the answer is that still operates in IB colours but are owned and wet-leased from another Spanish airline called Gestair.
The MD-87 and MD88's, as you said, will be substituted with new 319 and 320's. Two of the M87's were sold past month to a new Spanish airline called Pronair. One of them, flown last week to JKT via CAI, CCU and BKK (ex EC-EXN).
Another M87 was out of service at La Muñoza with new registration: I-AFRA (unknown operator).
Regards,
Gerard
El dia que los gilipollas vuelen, no podremos ver la luz del sol!
IBERIA747 From Spain, joined Aug 2003, 1825 posts, RR: 62 Reply 2, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1727 times:
Quoting RAFVC10 (Reply 1): Last Iberia 747 was retired in July 2006, when the TF-AMB (Boeing 747-412) wet-leased from Air Atlanta Icelandic was returned to his owner.
I guess that's correct, although I never considered those 744s to be "true" Iberia aircraft...you know...foreign registration, non-Iberia pilots...not mantained by Iberia either...
About the 747-200s, the last revenue operation was carried out in May 1st, 2005. It was a MAD-TFN-MAD flight operated by EC-DIB, and when it was getting ready to come back to MAD for what was going to be the final 747-200 flight it was hit by a ground support vehicle, forcing IB to put the pax on other flights and leaving EC-DIB at TFN waiting to be repaired.
After it was fixed, it flew back to MAD without pax and was taken to La Muñoza, where it has been since then. It was used a few months later for some tests at Barajas' Terminal 4 before it entered service and then it was taken back to La Muñoza. That means....more than 2 years have passed since the last "true" Iberia 747 took off for the last time.
Quoting RAFVC10 (Reply 1): If I don't remember bad, last flight came from TFN.
Last flight was HAV-MAD. I have a magazine with a special report about it. IIRC the captain was British and the first officer was Portugese (Air Atlanta pilots).
Quoting RAFVC10 (Reply 1): Actually, there are 5 Boeing 747-200 stored at La Muñoza in a not airworthy conditions to fly again. Awaiting its fate, maybe this year will wfu.
Sadly, I guess it's true. Those 747-200s have been used for spare parts and none of them is in good condition anymore. Not too long ago, there were some talks between Iberia and AENA about the possibility of putting one of those 747s next to Terminal 4 and leave it there for good, in a public area so people could visit it. Nothing has been said about it for over a year though, so I guess it won't happen.
Quoting RAFVC10 (Reply 1): Answering your question about Boeing 757, the answer is that still operates in IB colours but are owned and wet-leased from another Spanish airline called Gestair.
Some of the 757s are indeed operated by Audeli (part of Gestair group), but I guess only 4 of them remain in service (at least only 4 were still in IB colours a couple of months ago).
The rest of the 757s have gone to several airlines which include Varig, Hola, Titan and more recently Icelandair, among others. Girjet and Cygnus Air (Cargo) have recieved a few 757-200s recently, but I'm not sure if those are ex-Iberia or not.
Quoting RAFVC10 (Reply 1): The MD-87 and MD88's, as you said, will be substituted with new 319 and 320's. Two of the M87's were sold past month to a new Spanish airline called Pronair. One of them, flown last week to JKT via CAI, CCU and BKK (ex EC-EXN).
Another M87 was out of service at La Muñoza with new registration: I-AFRA (unknown operator).
Several "ex-Iberia" MD87s are now flying in Spanair colours as well.
747fan From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 1165 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1675 times:
Iberia had some combi 747's, didn't they? My dad said he flew on one to Spain, but I've looked on airfleets.net and the jetphotos.net a.c. history database; none indicated whether any of their 747's were a combi or not. Assuming they did use the type, were they the -200's or -300's?
AlitaliaMD11 From Spain, joined Dec 2003, 4068 posts, RR: 15 Reply 4, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 1633 times:
Quoting 747fan (Reply 3): Iberia had some combi 747's, didn't they? My dad said he flew on one to Spain, but I've looked on airfleets.net and the jetphotos.net a.c. history database; none indicated whether any of their 747's were a combi or not. Assuming they did use the type, were they the -200's or -300's?
Don't believe they did. Iberia operated the -100, -200, -300, and -400 at some point in the airlines career.
Varig md-11 From France, joined Jul 2000, 1575 posts, RR: 9 Reply 6, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1602 times:
Quoting R2rho (Thread starter): I'm sure some Eastern European or South American airline would take them
salut
no, you're not sure about this !!
East europeans are very modern in their requirements, and even Russia prefers more recent metal: fuel is expensive for everybody
south america? like what airline? if Chavez would launch "utopia venezuelana airline", maybe
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Varig md-11 From France, joined Jul 2000, 1575 posts, RR: 9 Reply 9, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 1522 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 7): Transaero´s 742s are of the same age as IBs 742s, all built in 1981/82.
thanks, I didn't even know that Transaero had 742
on the other side LOT has ordered 787s and SU is about to buy 1/2 a fleet of 787 and 1/2 a fleet of 350
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R2rho From Germany, joined Feb 2007, 2279 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 1436 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 7): Quoting Varig md-11 (Reply 6):
East europeans are very modern in their requirements
Transaero´s 742s are of the same age as IBs 742s, all built in 1981/82.
Transaero was actually the airline I was thiking of when I said it, but there are bound to be others. Aerolineas has -200s too. So there were candidates. And even if not, someone may still have wanted them for cargo. But if as is said here they are no longer airworthy, I guess there's no future for them. They certainly didn't look airworthy when I saw them.
A pity, really. Those 747's looked really nice in IB's livery. Well, putting one on display next to terminal 4 would be nice. Certainly better than landing in a junkyard to be scrapped.
747fan From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 1165 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (5 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 1064 times:
Quoting IBERIA747 (Reply 5): Yes. They had 2 at the beginning of the 80s, and a 3rd one was added in 1988.
Quoting IBERIA747 (Reply 5): They were -200s. The one that was added in 1988 was a -200 as well. It was one of the last -200s that were built.
Thanks! I assume these were JT9D-powered birds like the rest of their 742's - I know their 743's were CF6-powered.
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