American 747

[Avianca 757]

Hi:

I Just wanted to know why American stop using the 747.
I could understand Avianca's choice to not use it anymore as there is not enough traffic to Colombia like to have 747s (by the way, Avianca had one ex-American Airlines 747), but was not there enough traffic in the US? or what was the reason for American ceasing 747 operations?

thanx

[tommyalf]

American elected to stop using the 747 on passenger service when the DC-10 came out. They used the 747 for dedicated cargo service up into the 1980's. The DC-10 better meet American's needs and cost requirements for passenger service. Remember that during the 1970's American was not a large player on the international market, which for the time was better served by the 747. Even on the transcon service from New York American was small beans compared to TWA, and Pan Am.

[aerpix]

American parked their 747s in the desert after the first oil crisis 1974. After markets had recovered it kept to the DC-10 as this better suited its needs. Without the first oil crisis I bet we would still see Delta and American 747s in the air today.

Regards,
Peter

[Richard]

Well some transcontinental 747 flights would fly with very low load factors. This was loosing money. Instead these airlines opted for a more economical method by using smaller aircraft and adjusting the frequencies accordingly. A near empty DC-10 or L1011 is not as costly as a near empty 747.

[shamrock145hvy]

I enjoyed shooting AA 747-123F in the 1970's. Kept the "heavies" shooting list at LAX very interesting.

Cheers!

shamrock145hvy

[a78jumper]

American parked their 747s in the desert after the first oil crisis 1974. After markets had recovered it kept to the DC-10 as this better suited its needs. Without the first oil crisis I bet we would still see Delta and American 747s in the air today.

Regards,
Peter

CO found their initial 747-124s too large as well, and I think some of them ended up with Wardair Canada. I think the initial "buy" by all the US majors was motivated somewhat with a "Keeping up with the Jones'" attitude-everyone had to have 747s, even if there was little thought as to how they would be filled or where they would fit into the route sched.

[aerpix]

Not quite true, the initial purchase made sense for them, it was only after the first oil crisis that the downturn made the aircraft too big for all but TWA and Pan Am, at that time the designated US overseas carriers.

Regards,
Peter

[Thomas_Cook_757-200]

Hi,
I don't think AA's livery suited the 747.

Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-200

[LH 340-600]

Actually it looks quite good. I've got a small model of a AA 747. Looks better than th MD 11.

[AEagle40]

I would have liked to see AA's livery on an L-1011. If they used the all silver, like Eastern, I imangine it would have been quite good looking.

[AJ]

Looks kinda cute:

[a78jumper]

Not quite true, the initial purchase made sense for them, it was only after the first oil crisis that the downturn made the aircraft too big for all but TWA and Pan Am, at that time the designated US overseas carriers.

Regards,
Peter

If anything, the first oil crisis simply accelerated the retirement of the gas guzzler, first generation jets, eg. Uniteds 720s, TWAs 880s and BA 707-436s. The 747 proved too large for Eastern, Delta, Continental and American-while they could be filled, the public wanted the choice of three flights a day to XYZ, not just one 747 flight. This had nothing to do with the energy crisis; if anything the one 747 flight was way more economical than 3 707s. They were bought in an era when huge increases in passenger numbers were forecasted, which just did not occur. Hence the popularity of the DC10 and the 1011 in the beginning, and later the 767 and 757. You forgot NW as a designated overseas carrier; they always were a big 747 user.
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