Last Boeing 727 passenger plane makes its final flight

The final Boeing 727 commercial aircraft to carry passengers has made its last flight.

Operated by Iran Aseman Airlines, flight EP851 did a two-hour domestic route from Zahedan to Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on Sunday 13 January.

The jet itself was a 38-year-old Boeing 727-200 Advanced, and was the last to be flown as a passenger plane with a commercial airline.

Journalist Babak Taghvaee tweeted a video of the final flight, writing: “EP-ASB was going to be retired this evening but was called to log another flight prior to her retirement tonight. This is the world’s last passenger carrier Boeing 727.”

The 727 model has been in service for nearly 55 years, and was at one time a popular aircraft choice for a variety of airlines.

The tri-jet aircraft first came into service in 1963, able to fly more passengers than most competitor narrow-body jets, and at higher speeds with a lower operating cost per passenger, according to The Points Guy.

Most major airlines in the US had 727s as part of their fleet – more than 1,800 of the jets were purchased during its 20-year production run.

When it stopped being made in 1984, the 727 was the most widely sold commercial jet ever, a title that’s since been taken by the plane’s successor, the 737.

The 727’s use as a commercial aircraft has dwindled over the last two decades, as airlines find it much more cost-effective to fly twin-engine jets that use fuel more efficiently.

However, although Sunday marked its final commercial flight, the aircraft model is still used to transport freight, with some even used to operate charter flights or as private planes for government officials.

The news comes after British Airways announced it was retiring its final 767, Boeing’s first wide-body twin-jet, in November 2018.