Legendary Aircraft · 2026 guide
Where You Can Still Fly Legacy Aircraft
Every year, a few more classic airliners fly their last passenger trip. The jets that defined air travel for decades are being replaced by quieter, more efficient twin-engined aircraft, and for enthusiasts the window to fly on them is closing. This guide lists where you can still book a seat on the rarest types, and where the oldest ones still fly but only carry cargo or fight fires.
Last checked: October 2026. Airlines change aircraft at short notice, so always confirm the type for your specific flight before booking.
You can still book a seat
Lufthansa
Where: Frankfurt to US cities including Newark, Washington Dulles, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago
The largest remaining passenger 747 operator, flying both the 747-8 and the older 747-400.
Korean Air
Where: Seoul to Los Angeles and Honolulu
A small fleet; one aircraft is set aside for VIP use.
Air China
Where: Mostly domestic routes from Beijing
A very small number left, mainly flown inside China.
Lufthansa
Where: Selected long-haul routes
Last flight scheduled for 25 October 2026 — after that the -600 leaves Lufthansa.
Lufthansa, Swiss, Edelweiss
Where: Long-haul routes from Germany and Switzerland
Lufthansa plans to retire its -300s by 2028; Swiss is replacing its fleet with A350s.
Airbus A318
Air France
Where: Short-haul European routes
The last scheduled operator, with four left. Retirement now planned for March 2027.
Delta, United (Icelandair until winter 2026)
Where: US domestic and some transatlantic routes
Delta is the world’s largest operator. Icelandair is retiring its 757s this winter.
Delta, Hawaiian Airlines
Where: Short US routes and Hawaii inter-island flights
The last two operators of the final aircraft McDonnell Douglas designed.
Boeing 737-200
Air Inuit, Nolinor
Where: Montréal to remote northern Québec (Air Inuit); charters (Nolinor)
Some fitted with “gravel kits” to land on unpaved runways. Air Inuit has started replacing them with converted 737-800s.
Fokker 70 / Fokker 100
Alliance Airlines, Air Niugini
Where: Australia (Alliance) and Papua New Guinea (Air Niugini)
Alliance runs one of the largest Fokker fleets anywhere. QantasLink is replacing its Fokker 100s with Embraer E190s from late 2026.
Avro RJ
Summit Air
Where: Northern Canada
One of very few airlines still flying the four-engined British regional jet.
Ilyushin Il-96
Cubana de Aviación
Where: Long-haul routes from Havana
The only airline still flying the Soviet-era widebody on scheduled passenger services.
Why these aircraft are disappearing
Most of the types above share one problem: they have more engines, or older engines, than modern rivals. A four-engined 747 or A340 burns far more fuel per seat than a twin-engined Airbus A350 or Boeing 787. As fuel prices and environmental rules bite, airlines retire them as soon as replacements arrive. Others, like the A318 and 717, were built in small numbers, so spare parts and trained engineers get harder to find each year.
A few survive because nothing newer does their job as well. The 737-200s flying to Canada’s far north can be fitted with a gravel kit, which protects the engines and landing gear from stones thrown up by unpaved runways. Modern jets mostly can’t use those runways at all.
Still flying, but you can’t book a seat
Some of the most famous airliners ever built are still in the air, just not with paying passengers on board.
Mainly cargo and VIP operators
Where: USA, Latin America, UK
Only around 11 still fly, and none on scheduled passenger routes.
10 Tanker Air Carrier and others
Where: United States
About eight remain, mostly as firefighting water bombers. Most US examples were grounded under an FAA emergency order issued in November 2025.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11
Cargo airlines
Where: Worldwide
Passenger service ended when KLM flew the last MD-11 passenger flight in 2014; the type now flies only freight.
Airbus A300
Cargo airlines
Where: Worldwide
Over 200 A300-family aircraft still fly, almost all as freighters.
Douglas DC-6
Everts Air
Where: Alaska
Hauls cargo to remote communities, landing on gravel, ice and short strips.
Douglas DC-3
Buffalo Airways and others
Where: Canada and worldwide
Ninety years after its first flight, over 150 DC-3s still fly — mostly cargo, charter and heritage flights.
How to catch one before it goes
- Check the aircraft type, not just the airline. Booking sites and airline apps show the scheduled aircraft. Look for it again a day or two before you fly.
- Watch retirement dates. Airlines often announce farewell flights, which sell out fast among enthusiasts. The Lufthansa A340-600 and Air France A318 are the next big ones.
- Read up first. Our aircraft encyclopedia has the full story of most types on this page: how they were built, who flew them and how they compare with their rivals.
Sources & Further Reading
- How to fly on a 747 — Flightradar24 ↗
- List of Airbus A340 operators — Wikipedia ↗
- Air France pushes final A318 retirement to March 2027 — Simple Flying ↗
- List of Boeing 757 operators — Wikipedia ↗
- List of Boeing 717 operators — Wikipedia ↗
- Nolinor Aviation — Wikipedia ↗
- Alliance Airlines — Wikipedia ↗
- Ilyushin Il-96 — Wikipedia ↗
- DC-10 Air Tanker — Wikipedia ↗
- KLM operates last MD-11 passenger flight — KLM ↗
- 90 years after its first flight, over 150 DC-3s still fly — Forbes ↗
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you still fly on a Boeing 747 in 2026?
Yes. Lufthansa is the biggest remaining operator, flying the 747-8 and 747-400 between Frankfurt and the US. Korean Air flies the 747-8 to Los Angeles and Honolulu, and Air China still flies a small number, mostly on domestic routes.
Can you still fly on a DC-10?
No. There are no DC-10 passenger flights left. The few that still fly are mainly firefighting tankers in the United States, and most of those were grounded under an FAA emergency order in November 2025.
Are there any Boeing 727 passenger flights?
Not scheduled ones. Only about 11 Boeing 727s are still active, almost all flying cargo or as private and VIP aircraft.
What is the oldest airliner still in commercial use?
The Douglas DC-3, which first flew in 1935. More than 150 are still flying worldwide, mostly carrying cargo or flying charters and heritage flights.
How can I check what aircraft my flight uses?
Look at the aircraft type shown when booking or in the airline’s app, and check again near departure. Airlines swap aircraft at short notice, so a rare type on the schedule is never guaranteed.