Delta's retired Boeing 747-400s continue to supply parts to cargo operators
Delta Air Lines retired its last Boeing 747-400 in 2018, but the stored aircraft are reportedly still serving as a source of parts for freight operators such as UPS and Atlas Air.
Delta Air Lines flew its last Boeing 747-400 to storage in the Arizona desert on January 3, 2018. The aircraft, registration N674US, arrived in the Sonoran Desert after years of transpacific service. At the time, the flight was widely treated as the end of passenger jumbo operations for the US carrier.
The retirement did not put the airframes out of use. According to the source, the stored 747s have continued to supply components to cargo operators, with parts from the aircraft helping keep freighters flown by UPS and Atlas Air in service.
Sources
- simpleflying.comWhy Delta Air Lines' Boneyard Boeing 747s Are Quietly Keeping UPS & Atlas Air Freighters In The Sky