Final passenger-carrying DC-8 retired after humanitarian missions
The last DC-8 still flying passengers was operated by Samaritan's Purse, which retired the aircraft after years of humanitarian missions. The plane, built in 1969, has since been donated to Liberty University and placed on display.
The last DC-8 flying passengers belonged to Samaritan's Purse, a Christian humanitarian organisation that delivers aid worldwide by air. The group retired the type nearly a year ago. Only cargo DC-8s remain in service.
The jet, registered N782SP, was a DC-8-70 built in 1969. It went first to Finnair, then to the French Air Force in November 1981, to Air Transport International in June 2005 and finally to Samaritan's Purse in March 2015.
A flight left the organisation's base in Greensboro, North Carolina, on what was described as the aircraft's last planned mission before retirement. Before boarding, the Samaritan's Purse team held a group prayer, a practice it follows before every flight.
More than 500 DC-8s were built over a 14-year production run. The type was among the first jet aircraft used for commercial airline service and served as an entry point into the long-range market for many carriers.
After the mission, the aircraft was gifted to Liberty University in December 2025 and is now on public display.
Sources
- airlinegeeks.comTrip Report: On Board the DC-8’s Final Mission