Thursday, May 28, 2009
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Iberia
Iberia was one of a number of airlines preferring the Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine as powerplant for their Airbus A300B4 aircraft. Iberia operated a total of eight A300B4s. They were flying for the Spanish national airline from 1981.
The aircraft on the picture is approaching London Heathrow.
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Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Eastern Airlines
As one of the 'Big Four' Eastern Airlines was among the leading airlines in the USA during fifty years, until its bankruptcy in 1991. The airline existed since 1929 but became a victim of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. With its high cost profile it was not capable to survive the much more competitive environment since that year. It lost market to new low-fare competitors and had difficulty to match more efficient Delta Air Lines at its most important hub Atlanta. Eastern Airlines struggled on until its last flight on 18 January 1991.
Eastern was often one of the first customers for new airliners. It was launch customer for the Lockheed TriStar and it introduced the Airbus A300 in the US skies. Because of doubts in the US about the safety and reliability of such a large airplane with only two engines, Eastern made an exceptional deal with Airbus Industrie. It first leased four aircraft of the type from Airbus Industrie for a six-month period to try them out. The experiment, which started in 1977, appeared successful. The aircraft proved to be reliable and far less fuel-thirsty than the TriStars in the Eastern fleet. The airline subsequently ordered 19 aircraft and bought the four A300s it had on trial. The newly ordered aircraft were delivered between 1978 and 1983. The Eastern order was a major breakthrough for Airbus Industrie, ending a period that it harldy sold any aircraft.
At last Eastern operated a total of 34 of the type. The airline introduced a silver finish on their aircraft in the 1980s, but the Airbuses required grey paint to protect the skin panels of the fuselage against corrosion. The picture shows an Eastern Airlines Airbus A300 parked in the desert after the bankruptcy. This particular aircraft flew again for Carnival Airlines in 1994 and later became a freighter aircraft for European Air Transport in Belgium in the colours of courier DHL.
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Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - DHL / EAT
European Air Transport (EAT) is a Belgian airline operating a large number of freighters on behalf of courier DHL from Brussels Zaventem, including this A300B4, which is a converted passenger aircraft.
The aircraft on the picture is seen while taxiing at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Airbus A300B4 - Dan-Air London
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Dan-Air London
Dan-Air London was a British airline (not Danish! - Dan stands for Davies and Newman) operating scheduled and charter services. In 1986 it flew a single Airbus A300B4, leased from the German charter airline Hapag-Lloyd. In the end of that year Dan-Air returned this aircraft to Germany, but the airline immediately introduced two other A300s, which were operated until 1990.
The airline ran into financial problems in the early 1990s and was swallowed by British Airways in 1992.
The aircraft on the picture is being pushed back at London Gatwick Airport.
Airbus A300B4 - Alitalia
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Alitalia
Alitalia was one of the major European national airlines that introduced the Airbus A300 on its busiest European routes. The airline operated two A300B2s and twelve A300B4 aircraft. Eight of the B4s were new from the factory. The first Airbuses entered the fleet in 1980.
The A300B4 on the picture is approaching London Heathrow Airport, where the Alitalia Airbuses were common visitors during many years.
Airbus A300B4 - Air Jamaica
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Air Jamaica
Air Jamaica flew its first Airbus A300B4 aircraft in 1983 and operated a total of eight of the type. They were painted in a colourful yellow and orange livery. From 1999 Air Jamaica replaced the A300s with smaller A310 aircraft.
The aircraft on the picture above is photographed while landing at Miami International Airport. The picture below shows a non-standard livery on an Air Jamaica A300 with titles and logo only.
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B2 - Air France
Air France was the first airline to introduce the Airbus A300B on its route network. It ordered six aircraft of the A300B2 version in 1971 and the first examples were delivered in 1974. The first revenue flight took place on Air France's Paris - London Heathrow service on 23 May 1974.
The aircraft on the picture, F-BVGB, was the second aircraft in Air France service. The B2s in the Air France fleet were soon followed by A300B4s. The French national airline operated a total of twenty-five A300s (nine B2s and sixteen B4s) but didn't buy the later A300-600 version.
Airbus A300B4 - Carnival Air Lines
Airbus A300 | |
Airbus A300B4 - Carnival Air Lines
The US charter and scheduled airline Carnival Air Lines was set up in 1988 after the Carnival Cruises shipping company bought Pacific Interstate Air Lines. Carnival's aircraft often flew to destinations where the passengers boarded the Carnival cruise ships.
In 1994 the airline acquired its first second-hand Airbus A300 and it flew a total of nine of the type. The fleet also included Boeing 727s and 737s. The airline merged with the reborn Pan Am in 1997 but due to financial trouble the combined airline ceased operations in 1998.
Carnival Air Lines aircraft often visited Miami International Airport, where the picture is taken.
Boeing 747-100 - TWA Trans World Airlines
Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Boeing 747-100 - TWA Trans World Airlines The US airline TWA Trans World Airlines was, like Pan Am, primarily a lon...
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Airbus A340 Airbus A340-600 - Thai Airways International Thai Airways International is one of only a rather small number of operators of...
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Airbus A310 Airbus A310 - Mahan Air Mahan Air is an airline from Iran, founded in 1992. Since 2002 Mahan Air acquired a total of three A...
