Today, February 19 2022 marks 40 years since the first flight of Boeing’s famous 757. The medium-range, single-aisle, twin-jet was designed by the leading United States aircraft manufacturer Boeing. Over the years the 757 has seen operations with many airliners and cargo operators across the globe carrying passengers and cargo.
In the early 1970s, Boeing was at the crossroads between an improved version of the successful Boeing 727 and a new design from the ground up. As new materials and propulsion technology became available to the civil aerospace industry Boeing elected to move forward with the new project as customers were after new technology and fuel efficiency in a bid to reduce operational costs.
On 19th February 1982, the first prototype of the Boeing 757 took to the skies from Renton Municipal Airport and on 1st January 1983, the narrow-body airliner was introduced into service with Eastern Air Lines. During the 23 year-long productions a total of 1,050 airframes were developed and the airliner was widely used by major flag carriers around the World.
Nowadays the Boeing 757 is more widely used by cargo airlines after most airframes were converted to freighters as most passenger airliners are introducing more efficient aircraft. Boeing is again looking to reintroduce a re-engined version of the Boeing 757 dubbed as the 757-Plus which will be competing with the Airbus A321XLR.
