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New life for AA's retiring 767s

 

Those last 767s that are leaving the American Airlines ahead of schedule are apparently not going into retirement after all. They have a new life ahead of them as freight-only versions.

American had planned to retire them by the end of next year, but the lack of business because of the Covid-19 pandemic moved up the schedule. Only two are still active, flying occasional missions retrieving stranded Americans and delivering freight; twelve have gone to desert storage, and the first of the lot is on its way to a company in Israel that specializes in 767 freight conversions.

The planes were actually sold in a 2018 deal that takes effect as the planes retire; after conversion they'll be leased out to various airlines and freight companies. The conversion involves sealing windows, cutting a new oversized door to load cargo on the main deck, where seats used to be. The 767 is specially prized for this because its wide body gives it a very good cargo capacity.

There are currently several hundred 767s in cargo service around the world, not only conversions but factdory-build models. In fact, Boeing's 767 assembly line is still in operation, building cargo planes for UPS, FedEx and a handful of other customers.

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