BOEING 727 ends scheduled passenger service

On 12 January 2019, the final scheduled passenger flight of a Boeing 727 was conducted by Iran Aseman Airlines. The aircraft, a relatively new Boeing 727-200 Advanced which was built in 1977, flew as EP851 on a domestic flight from Zahedan to Tehran. The low-key final flight marked the end of a remarkable 55-year run for the tri-engine jet that was a state-of-the-art improvement in speed and efficiency when it was introduced in 1962.

Although a few 727s remain in freight and even executive service, including one based at Lanseria International Airport, most of the 1,831 produced until 1984 were retired by early this century because they were noisy and not very fuel efficient. When the 727 entered service with Eastern Airlines in 1964, it carried as many passengers as four-engine airliners but flew higher and faster. It became a fixture on domestic routes, but was eventually eclipsed by twin-engine short-haul models. Due to decades of trade sanctions, Iran has not been in a position to purchase new airliners or spare parts for the legacy airliners it operates.