Throughout its 89-year history, EgyptAir has had a total of 10 Boeing 747s registered with it. These jumbo jets were a mix of variants – one was a -100, seven were -200s and two were -300s. The latter two variants predominantly flew with the carrier through the 1980s, while the -300s remained with the fleet right up until 2005. So what happened to these aircraft? Where are they now?
If we look at all the aircraft in EgyptAir’s operational history, we can see that the carrier has operated a fairly diverse selection of jets. On the Airbus side, the airline has operated the A300, the A320 (and the A320neo), the A321-200, and the A330 and A340. It now also operates the A220.
In terms of Boeing aircraft, EgyptAir has flown the 737, 767, 777, 787 – and of course, the 747.
Outside of the two large planemakers, the EgyptAir fleet has also included the Douglas DC-8, Embraer ERJ-170, and McDonnell Douglas DC-9.
Just 10 747s
With just 10 747s, let’s take a look at where these aircraft ended up after flying with EgyptAir.
747-100: A lease from American carrier Overseas National Airways, the one and only 747-100 registered as N480G, flew with the airline for about a year before going back to ONA. It went on to fly with Transamerica Airways and Tower Air. Under the latter’s registration, it was operated by Zambia Airways and Saudi Arabian Airlines. The jet stopped flying in 2000 and was broken up in 2001.
747-200s: Seven of this variant was registered with the airline. This was further divided into four combi versions and three all-passenger versions. None of these jets were operated by EgyptAir for very long. Most of them actually flew with the carrier for just one or two years.
As these were leases, the jets would exit the EgyptAir fleet to return to their lessors and/or move on to other airlines. A few of these would be converted to freighters, and most would end up being broken up and scrapped.
One exception was 9K-ADC, which returned to its owner, Kuwait Airways, but then was converted to a freighter in 1995. It’s one of the few listed as ‘stored’ – registered as 3D-SGF in 2011.
747-300Ms: While EgyptAir only had two 747-300s, it used the jumbo jets for a considerable amount of time (especially when compared to the short stints of its predecessors). Both jets, SU-GAL and SU-GAM, were combi 747s – dedicating half of the main passenger deck to cargo. The aircraft flew with the carrier from 1988 to 2005, making for a 17-year-run with EgyptAir.
Both aircraft exited the fleet in 2005 and went to an American firm by the name of JT Power. Unfortunately, not much is known about this entity nor how it used these 747s after leaving EgyptAir.
We do know that both of these jumbo jets are now listed as scrapped. Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly when this took place.
While still a diverse fleet with a decent network, EgyptAir doesn’t have the large jets it once had, now that the 747 and A340 are no longer with them. This lines up with the overall industry trend of moving to smaller and more efficient jets with two engines rather than four.
Have you ever flown on EgyptAir’s 747s? Please share your experience with us in the comments.
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