dailynewsnblog
SkyTeam carrier 
Delta Air Lines has retired its last legacy Northwest Airlines-inherited Boeing 757-200 with the registration ending in ‘US’. The airplane, N544US, was retired on Tuesday, June 23, when it was shuttled to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM), where the plane will be dismantled and likely end up being recycled or used for part harvesting.
The plane, which carried US registration N544US, had been flying for more than three decades and entered service with Northwest in 1996. It transferred to Delta as part of the airline’s merger in 2009, and since then has been an integral part of the airline’s narrowbody fleet. Most recently, the aircraft has been flying domestic, or thin international routes.
N544US Has Flown For More Than 30 Years
N544US is the last Delta 757-200, which has a tail number ending in US and leaves all the other 757-200s in the fleet ending with NW. The plane has accumulated a total of 30.2 years of active service between both Delta and Northwest, having taken its first test flight at Boeing back on May 7, 1996, and was subsequently delivered to Northwest on May 20, 1996. It operated for Northwest for almost 13 years before being merged into the Delta fleet on February 1, 2009.
For Delta, the 757-200 has been a ‘pocket rocket’ for the carrier as it has supported the airline’s transcontinental services with a higher capacity than the average narrowbody, without the need to fly a widebody plane. The plane itself has a widebody range; however, in more recent years has been focused on domestic or thin international operations.
Due to Delta’s TechOps maintenance division, the airline has stored a deep inventory of parts for these older aircraft, which have been able to maintain these planes longer than usual.
A Fond Farewell To The Last ‘US’ Registered Aircraft
Similar to that of the plane pictured, N544US has serial number 26491 and carries line number 710. The plane is currently configured to carry up to 199 passengers across three classes, including 20 in Domestic First, 35 in Premium Economy, and 144 in Main Cabin. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW2037 engines, the aircraft has a range of 3,900 nautical miles (7,220 km). Further aircraft characteristics below, as per ch-aviation:
Registration | N544US |
|---|---|
Serial Number (MSN) | 26491 |
Line Number (LN) | 710 |
Hex Code | A6E89B |
First Flight Date | May 7, 1996 |
Delivery Date (Northwest) | May 20, 1996 |
Transfer Date (Delta) | February 1, 2009 |
Configuration | C20, W35, Y144 |
Following the above aircraft’s retirement, this leaves just two ex-Northwest 757-200s flying; however, rumor has it that N550NW is set to be retired this week. The remaining 757-300s at Delta were also all inherited from Northwest.
What Aircraft Will Replace The 757-200?
Delta has a fleet of almost 1,000 aircraft, making it one of the largest airlines in the world (but behind other US legacy carriers United Airlines and American Airlines). DL has several 757-200’s, including several that are set up with charter configuration carrying all business class seats for the likes of sports teams or VIP travel. Due to the plane’s incredible range, the airline has long used these as a staple for trans-continental, or ‘thin’ international services.
Older aircraft are set for retirement, as Delta looks to more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the Airbus A321neo, which Delta already operates more than 80 of the type, with another 100 on order. 16 of the 757-300 remain and have not set a retirement date yet, with these expected to continue operating into the next decade.
Delta initiated its merger with Northwest Airlines in April 2008, with it officially being completed in October that same year. This saw aircraft such as the 757-200 transfer the following year, and the Northwest brand officially retired in 2010. At the time of the merger, Delta had an all-Boeing aircraft fleet, while Northwest had a mix of Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Airbus aircraft, and Northwest was the largest operator at the time of the A330.
Today, the legacy of such aircraft that once belonged to Northwest, such as the 757-200, has lived on at Delta for all these years; however, at some point, aircraft must be retired, and it is sad to see the last ‘US’ registered 757-200 have the sun set on its 30-year tenure.
