The Age of the 707

The jet age came to American on January 25, 1959 with the inauguration of 707 service on Flight 3 between New York Idlewild (now JFK) and Flight 2 between Los Angeles and Idlewild. Technically, it began on January 23, when Lockeed L-188 Electra turboprop service was lauched between Chicago O'Hare and New York LaGuardia, but the 707 was the first true jet.

In the 22 years that the 707 was operated, it flew over 156 million passengers over 2 billion miles while with American.

In 1980, shortly after Robert Crandall was named president of American, all 63 of AA's 707 aircraft were put up for sale. The aircraft were phased out of the schedule over a one year period. The reason for the sale was clear -- the 707's fuel economy was dismal at best, and the cost of operating the aircraft was far higher than any other aircraft in the fleet.

The age of the 707 at AA officially ended on August 31, 1981 with the arrival of Flight 194 at Chicago O'Hare from Newark. 

Only 11 aircraft were left unsold at that time, with all but 20 ending up with the U.S. Air Force or with Boeing to support the Air Force. Most of those aircraft were stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ and broken up for parts.  The remaining aircraft were sold to various charter and cargo airlines worldwide.  Several still operate today.

In 1999, American commemorated their 40th anniversary of jet service by placing the 1959 livery on a new 757-223, and using it to fly Flight 3, which by this time was normally operated with widebody aircraft.  Several of the original crew members were present, and two actually flew on the flight from JFK to LAX.

 

(707 statistics and dates from "Eagle" by Robert Serling)