The Story Of Iberia’s Boeing 727 Fleet


  • Iberia Airbus A350-941 EC-NDR

    Iberia

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    IB/IBE

    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier

    Hub(s):
    Madrid Barajas Airport

    Year Founded:
    1927

    Alliance:
    oneworld

    Airline Group:
    IAG

    CEO:
    Javier Sánchez-Prieto

    Country:
    Spain

  • 787-8 Dreamliner

    Boeing

    Stock Code:
    BA

    Date Founded:
    1916-07-15

    CEO:
    Dave Calhoun

    Headquarters Location:
    Chicago, USA

    Key Product Lines:
    Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

    Business Type:
    Planemaker

Summary

  • Iberia’s Boeing 727s flew 12M km, carrying 140M passengers, a pivotal role in refugee rescue.
  • The 727 was chosen for smaller airfields, low noise and range, and pivotal rescue missions for the airline.
  • Iberia received 21 Boeing 727-200s, the last 5 in 1979 at $12M each; the fleet transitioned to all-Airbus.

This year marks 97 years since the Spanish flag carrier Iberia began operating. Over nearly a century of operations, the airline has utilized a wide range of aircraft. One notable aircraft was the Boeing 727, a three-engined model that entered commercial service in 1964.

Iberia received its first Boeing 727-200 in April 1972, configured with 153 passenger seating. Iberia deployed its Boeing 727s on European and North African routes. The aircraft was also used on the all-important Puente Aereo (Air Bridge) between Madrid and Barcelona. The airline retired the type from its fleet in August 2001. High-speed rail between the Spanish capital and Barcelona did not open until 2008, so the air bridge was the preferred method of travel between the two Spanish metropolises.

A 727 was involved in Iberia’s worst accident

  • Date: December 7th, 1983
  • Summary: Runway incursion due to inadequate signs and markings
  • Site: Madrid–Barajas Airport
  • Aircraft: Boeing 727-256
  • IATA flight No. IB350
  • Registration: EC-CFJ
  • Occupants: 93
  • Passengers: 84
  • Crew: 9
  • Fatalities: 51
  • Injuries: 30
  • Survivors: 42

During their time with Iberia, Boeing 727s clocked more than 12 million kilometers (7.4 million miles) in the air while carrying 140 million passengers. The Boeing 727 was also used on many memorable occasions, including evacuating Spanish troops from the Spanish Sahara in 1975.

Iberia also used its 727s to rescue refugees from Split during the conflict in the Balkans. Unfortunately, the 727 also has the distinction of being involved in Iberia’s worst-ever accident. Iberia flight number 610 hit a television antenna on Mount Oiz, near Bilbao, on February 19, 1985, killing all 148 people aboard the aircraft.

Iberia Boeing 727

Why did Iberia select the Boeing 727?

At the time, Iberia was looking for an aircraft that could be a workhorse on European and domestic routes, and the 727 seemed an ideal choice. It was designed to access smaller airports and land on insufficient runways for larger Boeing 707s. The Seattle planemaker developed an extensive, sophisticated flap system, allowing the plane to descend quickly while avoiding obstacles and buildings.

Another huge selling point of the plane was its small gas turbine engine auxiliary power unit (APU). Starting the engines without needing an external power source meant that Iberia could use its 727s at airports in developing countries.

Iberia Boeing 727

The airline industry is always full of new developments! What aviation news will you check out next?

Iberia’s Being 727-200s

According to ch-aviation.com the following is a list of Iberia’s 727-200s and their history:

  • Registration number EC-CBA was delivered on 5/12/73 and scrapped at Kingman, Arizona, on 4/4/2001.
  • Registration number EC-CBD was delivered on 4/3/73 and went to Iraq Airways on 27/01/2003. The aircraft is now listed as being beyond repair at Baghdad International (BGW).
  • Registration number EC-CBF was delivered on 1/04/2001 and went to Albarka Air on 4/03/2004 and then Teebah Airlines in 2005. In 2007, the aircraft went to Iraq’s Tigris Air and is now listed as being Stored at Aqaba King Hussein International (AQJ).
  • Registration number EC-CBG was delivered on 1/03/73 and was scrapped on 1/07/ 2007 at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD).
  • Registration number EC-CBH was delivered on 5/01/73 and went to Dasab Airlines on 30/3/2002. The aircraft is now listed as being stored at Bucharest Baneasa (BBU).

Related

How Soon Can Iberia Launch IAG’s Airbus A321XLRs On US Flights After FAA Raises Fuel Fire Concerns?

With the FAA mandating Airbus’ compliance with special conditions for the A321XLR, can Iberia launch its flights to the US in time?

  • Registration number EC-CBI was delivered to Iberia on 2/02/73 and went to Albarka Air on 23/11/ 2001. The aircraft is listed as being scrapped at Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV) in Nigeria.
  • Registration number EC-CBJ was delivered to Iberia on 1/01/93 and went to Albarka Air on 22/01/2002. The aircraft is listed as being scrapped at Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International (ABV) in Nigeria.
  • Registration number EC-CBL was delivered to Iberia on 1/05/93 and was scrapped in Kingman, Arizona, in 2001.
  • Registration number EC-CFA was delivered to Iberia on 15/01/74 and was scrapped at Shannon International (SNN) in Ireland in 2001.
  • Registration number EC-CFB was delivered to Iberia on 22/01/74 and is now listed as being scrapped at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD) in 2000.

Related

Iberia Launches Avios ‘Points Planes’ To Santorini And Sicily

The new Iberia Plus Flights reward frequent flyers with Avios-only flights to exotic island destinations.

  • Registration number EC-CFD was delivered to Iberia on 6/02/74 and sold to Sierra Leones Sierra National Airlines in 2001. In 2003, the aircraft went to Iraqi Airways and is now listed as being beyond repair at Baghdad International (BGW).
  • Registration number EC-CFE was delivered to Iberia on 15/02/74 and is now listed as being displayed at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD) since 2000.
  • Registration number EC-CFF was delivered to Iberia on 25/02/74 and has been in storage at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD) since 2001.
  • Registration number EC-CFG was delivered to Iberia on 7/03/74 and has been displayed at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos Airport (ECV) since 2001.
  • Registration number EC-CFH was delivered to Iberia on 20/03/74 and sold to Hawaiian Airlines in 2002. The aircraft is currently listed as being stored at an unknown location.
  • Registration number EC-CFI was delivered to Iberia on 2/04/74 and sold to Forces Aériennes du Benin in 2006. Oliver Reginald Tambo International(JNB) scrapped the aircraft at Johannesburg in 2006.
Iberia Boeing 727

  • Registration number EC-CFK was delivered to Iberia on 9/05/74 and has been displayed at Madrid’s Cuatro Vientos Airport (ECV) since 2000.
  • Registration number EC-CID was delivered to Iberia on 24/10/74 and scrapped at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD) in 2001.
  • Registration number EC-CIE was delivered to Iberia on 30/10/74 and sold to Trans Sahara Air in 2002. The aircraft was scrapped at Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD) in 2003.
  • Registration number EC-DCC was delivered to Iberia on 28/07/78 and sold to Mahfooz Aviation (Gambia) in 2001. The aircraft is listed as being stored at an unknown location.
  • Registration number EC-DCD was delivered to Iberia on 30/08/78 and scrapped at Madrid Adolfo Suárez Barajas (MAD) in 2002.
  • Registration number EC-DCE was delivered to Iberia on 5/09/78 and sold to Hawaiian Airlines in 2003. In 2004, it was sold to African Express Airways and is now stored at Damascus Airport (DAM) in Syria.
  • Registration number EC-DDX was delivered to Iberia on 26/06/79 and has been displayed at Doncaster/Sheffield Robin Hood (DSA) since 2001.
  • Registration number EC-DDZ was delivered to Iberia on 9/07/79 and sold to Mahfooz Aviation (Gambia) in 2001. The aircraft was scrapped in Kingman, Arizona, in 2003.

The last five 727s were delivered to Iberia between June and July 1979 at $12 million per plane. Iberia had negotiated with Boeing for five more aircraft in 1980. They then canceled the delivery after signing a deal with Airbus for the A300.

Iberia Boeing 727

No more Boeing narrowbodies

The Boeing 727 was not the only single-aisle model from the US planemaking juggernaut that Iberia flew over the years. Indeed, the Spanish flag carrier also operated narrowbody designs such as the 737-300 and 757-200. However, nowadays, the national airline’s fleet is a different all-Airbus affair.

Iberia’s single-aisle aircraft have replaced the above Boeing designs with planes from Airbus’s A320 family. It currently has six A319s, 11 A320s, 17 A320neos, and 13 A321s.

Did you ever fly in one of Iberia’s Boeing 727-200s? If so, we would love to hear about it in the comments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *