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African 747SP



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Connor McMullin 2021 (DET Template)

African 747SP

The predecessor to African Airways was Ethiopian African Airways, founded in 1920. The airline briefly dissolved under Italian occupation but resumed operations under the same certifications in 1950. In the late 80s EAA would go through a series of mergers with smaller airlines as well as a few transitions of state to private ownership.

EAA bought the 747SP in 1977, looking for ways to increase capacity efficiently for short haul routes with very high passenger demand. Their solution was to purchase ten 747SP for inter-African routes, re-allocating the remaining 747-100s to serve newer International markets and bolster other trunk routes. The aircraft was a contested success. Passengers were very fond of the type, but with four engines, it was a gas guzzler, costing the airline more to operate than if it had gone with a trijet or narrowbody option. It saw increased passenger numbers and a greater on time performance, but struggled with underdeveloped infrastructure and nearly had an incident of the main gear sinking into the ground.

Whatever your opinion may be, the SP was an iconic aircraft for EAA and helped the airline establish itself abroad by creating more availability for the rest of the fleet.



    ssssexy

    awesome

    ^_^

    Amazing!

    awesome

    Mmm. This is tasty. :wub:

     

    But we already have EAA on AE...

    hot

    Very very nice!

    Very nice

    Neat.