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In a recent YouTube poll, we asked “off the top of your head, what fleet type at Delta do you think contained the single oldest airframe?” Almost half the voters got it right and some of the runners up for age weren’t that far off. So in today’s video, we take a look at the 757 that claims the title as Delta’s oldest plane.
N649DL or ship number 649 in the Delta fleet, is a Boeing 757-232 serial number 24389 which was delivered new to Delta in May 1989, making the airframe a little over 34 years old at the time of this video. The aircraft flew with Delta for the better part of 14 years before being transferred in 2003 along with 45 other 757s to Song, a low cost airline operated by Delta. In 2006 when the Song brand was dissolved following Delta’s bankruptcy, the aircraft was transferred back to Delta’s mainline operation where it flew the next 8 years before being put into storage in 2014. After 2 short years in storage at Marana, 649 was pulled from the dessert, reactivated and reconfigured along with 10 other 757-200s and we will talk about why a little later in the video. During the first part of its flying career, the aircraft had winglets installed in 2008. The winglets were then removed in 2016 when the aircraft was being removed from storage since fuel efficacy wasn’t a huge deal on the few flights a week it would fly in its new role with the airline.
Equipped with 2 Pratt & Whitney PW2037 turbo fan engines, the aircraft is able to produce just over 75,000 pounds of thrust during standard day conditions. With its 240,000 pound max takeoff weight the aircraft has a range of 3,393 statute miles. Which suites the aircraft quite well for the non-ETOPS role it plays in the Delta operation. Because of its lack of winglets, it has a wing span of 124ft and 10 inches, almost 10 feet more narrow than the standard winglet version of the 757 at Delta. This compact size is an advantage because it mostly parks at FBOs instead of normal gates due to the nature of its flying.
So want to book a flight to ride on the oldest airframe Delta has to offer? Well… that could be a bit of a problem since you kind of have to be a VIP in order to get on board. 649 as well as the other 10 757-200s that were pulled from storage make up the 75C sub fleet. With its 72 first class seat VIP cabin configuration, these aircraft fly mostly sport team charters with the occasional other VIP type charter movement. Although it’s a little cloudy who actually owns these 11 planes or who they are leased to, the primary purpose of them is to support the NBA charter flying, which prior to the 75C was done with 8 VIP configured A319s. The VIP config 757 aircraft are in all aspects, operated and maintained by Delta Air Lines and able to be used for other sports teams or VIP movements in the off season, such as 650, which was used for the Rolling Stones tour in 2019.
In terms of age, the next 5 oldest aircraft in Delta’s fleet are also from the 75C family, made up of ship numbers 650 through 655. The first non 757 aircraft for the runner up spot for oldest goes to N171DN or ship 171, a Boeing 767-300 delivered new to Delta in June 1990. In third place for age, the next oldest non 757 or 767 fleet type, one that might surprise some people, delivered new to Northwest airlines in October 1990 from the Airbus A320 family, N309US ship 3209.
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