3. Aernat Boeing 720B & Boeing 707-320C

The dawn of the jet age brought in a new era for the airline industry. Although they weren’t any more fuel efficient than their piston-powered counterparts, jets were much simpler to maintain, and much faster. For comparison, the Constellation was among the fastest airliners at the time of its introduction - a top speed of 326 knots made it faster than the A6M Zero fighter (which, depending on the variant, had a top speed of 270 knots.) The Boeing 707, meanwhile, had a maximum speed of 545 knots - over 220 knots faster than the Constellation, and twice as fast as the A6M. This fact, combined with many other advantages and PR stunts (eg. the 707 prototype doing a barrel roll in front of thousands of spectators, the DC-8 technically being the first airliner past the sound barrier, etc.) convinced airlines to buy into the new technology.

Aernat was no different. In 1960, the Irish flag carrier introduced the Boeing 720, a shortened version of the 707, into its fleet. These replaced the Lockheed Constellations that had previously operated the transatlantic flights. Its 3-by-3 seating layout was a game changer for the whole industry, allowing more passengers to be flown faster, and at a lower cost, which helped open up air travel to the masses. For first-class passengers, the wider cabin meant larger, more comfortable seats, thus raising the bar for luxury even higher. In 1962, these aircraft were joined by the 707-320C, which, on top of all the features of the 720, had a large cargo door, which made these aircraft also more versatile than any other aircraft Aernat had in its fleet at the time.

The 720s served Aernat until 1970, when they were replaced by the larger 707-320C’s. The 707-320C’s were phased out in 1988, replaced by the more fuel efficient twin-jets the company leased throughout the 90’s. Regrettably, none of Aernat’s 707’s nor 720’s survive today.

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