The retired American Airlines 767s are being turned into cargo planes
The Boeing 767s that American Airlines is retiring early because of the coronavirus pandemic won't be grounded for long. They're getting a new lease on life as all-cargo jets.
The first is on its way to Israel today to be converted from passenger to freighter. Flight-tracking site Flightradar24 showed on Tuesday that the 767 bearing the registration N394AN was in flight to Tel Aviv from a storage facility in Roswell, New Mexico, via a stop in Wilmington, Ohio.
These 767s aren't just being employed occasionally to fly cargo in their baggage holds, like the airline's bigger 777s are. They are being transformed completely into full freighters, in a process that takes months of work and includes cutting a new, oversized door on the left side of the fuselage forward of the wing to load cargo on the main deck. Tel Aviv-based Israel Aircraft Industries has specialized for decades in converting passenger 767s to cargo.
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Trade publication Cargo Facts wrote in late 2018 that an aircraft-leasing company had acquired American's entire fleet of 767-300ER to have them converted to freighters and then lease them out to cargo carriers, as they were retired progressively over the following three years. But then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, accelerating the timeline for their retirement from 2021 to next month.
Fleet-tracking site Planespotters shows that two of American's 767s are still actively, if sporadically, flying for the airline, while 12 are stored in Roswell. After spending time in the dry air of the Southwestern U.S. desert, which helps prevent corrosion, they will be flown to IAI's facilities and turned into cargos.
Related: Watch how airplanes are put into storage because of the coronavirus
It's not an uncommon fate for passenger wide-bodies, which have the room and range to fly heavy freight over oceans, and these ex-AA 767s still have a long, productive life as cargo haulers ahead of them. The 767 may be past its prime as a passenger jet, but it's doing just fine as a cargo plane, with hundreds in use worldwide as pure freighters. It's a sturdy, time-tested design that's been around since the early 1980s, it's relatively cheap to operate, and enjoys widespread maintenance support worldwide since Boeing is actually still producing it — albeit in small numbers, in its cargo or air-tanker version only.
Many of Boeing's bigger 747s undergo conversion to full freighters too, and go on flying for decades more after leaving passenger service. It's not a glamorous role, with cargo operations mostly confined to remote corners of airports away from the terminals. But those peculiar birds play a vital role in the world economy, for example helping carry the latest-model electronic gadgets from factory to market much faster than container ships can.
The cargo-only 767 has found a niche as package carrier, which has made it into the workhorse of Amazon Prime Air, the "Amazon airline" that carries goods for the world's biggest e-commerce company. Now known as Amazon Air only to differentiate from Amazon's future drone-delivery service — although it still sports the Prime logo on its planes — it flies a large fleet of 35 converted 767s that all used to be passenger planes, some with American.
The one below, photographed in Seattle in 2018, criss-crossed the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean with AA from 1992 to 2016 before having its windows removed and being turned into a package hauler.
The fall in demand from the pandemic may push other airlines to retire 767s early, too. Delta and United have grounded many of theirs, and it's still unknown if they will all return to the skies. So, while you may not be able fly on 767s as a passenger for much longer, you will still see them at airports for a long time, now hauling cargo. And there's a good chance that when a package from Amazon shows up at your door, it will have gotten there courtesy of a trusty 767 — maybe one you've flown on before, as a passenger on American Airlines.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.