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May 7, 2021 · A rare 747SP operator SAA's remaining six 747s belonged to the rare, short-fuselage 747SP variant. This figure represents a relatively high percentage of just 45 production examples of the 747SP. Five of these arrived at SAA in 1976, with the last joining the fleet the year after.
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Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747SP, taking the first delivery, Clipper Freedom, on March 5, 1976. The 747SP was the longest-range airliner available until the 747-400 entered service in 1989. Despite its technical achievements, the SP never sold as well as Boeing hoped.
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Sep 12, 2006 · The SAA legacy actually began in July of 1974 when South African first placed an order for the aircraft, one of the first airlines to buy the still developmental airplane. The South African flag first took to the sky on an B747SP in February of 1976 when ZS-SPA made it’s maiden flight.
SAA acquired ten Boeing 747-200 aircraft between 1971 and 1998. The first of these being the Lebombo. These aircraft have been scrapped or preserved, with one of the aircraft - ZS-SAS- written off after an in-flight fire caused a crash over the Indian Ocean in 1987.
Sep 6, 2022 · However the 747SP did pioneer a number of long range nonstop services that are now commonly flown by the 747-400. Notable SP customers included South African Airways (who found the SP's extended range a great asset in bypassing African nations that denied it landing rights while South Africa's apartheid policies were in place), Qantas and PanAm ...
Sep 10, 2006 · The 747SP conveys the unique look of the 747’s strength and power, but without the size penalty for the multi-billionaire who needs to find a parking space. In the end, it’s hard to know whether Boeing made back its initial investment on the 747SP.
