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.
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news
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.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.