Kalitta Charters II has announced they will retire their last 2 operational Boeing 727-200(f)s in 2024. Planes N726CK (MSN 21951) and N729CK (MSN 22982) are currently still flying out of the company’s base in Detroit, MI.
They retired their DC-9 fleet in 2019, and are following suit now with the 727 to transition operations to an all-737 fleet of freighters.
“The B727 has proven to be a workhorse in the cargo industry and remains unmatched in its self-stainability in the field,” said the company in a statement.
The company owned 9 of the 727s, dating back to the year 2000. The 7 no longer flying are parked in Oscada, MI. The last 2 still flying are both over 40 years old.
The iconic plane with its T-shaped tail and trio of rear-mounted engines first rolled off the assembly line in 1962. Its history is a storied one, flying for airlines and spending their elder years as cargo freighters.
How many 727s still operate in the U.S. and overseas?
A number of other companies actually still operate a handful of 727s in the United States and across North America. Some are flown for cargo. Others are used for VIP and private charters, and others are used for parabolic research flights, such as those conducted by Zero-G. Their 727 has a slick paint job, and is named “G-Force One”.
On a more global scale, the website aviationish has concluded that 23 of the 727s are still flying, out of the over 1,800 that Boeing produced from 1962 – 1984.
Signs of the times
The last 727 passenger flight landed in 2019, signaling the slow beginning of the end of the plane. And it is highly unlikely that any airline or operator will ever restart passenger or even charter service on a 727, as there are now more modern, safer, more comfortable, cost-effective and efficient options to choose from.
The 727 will live on though in our heart and the slight hearing loss by who have experienced its rumble on departure.
