List of Douglas DC-8 operators explained

The following is a list of past and present operators of the Douglas DC-8 including those airlines which flew converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft:^[1]

♠ - Denotes original DC-8 operators

Civil operators

Austria

• Austrian Airlines

• Belgian International Air Services
• CargoLion
• Delta Air Transport
• Pomair

• BETA Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• DiGregorio Digex
• Panair do Brasil
• Skymaster Airlines
• Transportes Charter do Brasil
• Varig
• VASP (fleet included former Air Canada Cargo Super DC-8-73 aircraft)

• Air Canada^[2] (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft operated by Air Canada Cargo)
• Canadian Pacific Airlines^[3] ♠ (later renamed CP Air)
• Minerve Canada
• Nationair Canada
• Nordair (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• Points of Call Airlines
• Quebecair
• Swiftair Cargo
• Trans-Canada Airlines ♠ (became Air Canada)
• Worldways Canada

Cayman Islands

• Cayman Airways

Central African Republic

• Air Centrafrique

• Air Ceylon

Chile

• Fast Air
• LanChile Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)

Colombia

• Tampa Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)

• Air Zaïre

Cote d'Ivoire

• Air Afrique ♠

• Cubana

Cyprus

• Cyprus Airways

• Trans Air Cargo Service
• Hewa Bora Airways
• Kinshasa Airways

• Scanair
• Sterling Airways

• Finnair
• Kar-Air
• Spear Air

• Aéromaritime
• Air France
• Aire d'Evasions (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Minerve (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Point Air
• Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI) ♠
• Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) ♠
• UTA ♠

• Atlantis ♠
• Condor (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• German Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Lufthansa
• Lufthansa Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Südflug

• Airlift International
• Air Charter Express
• Ghana Airways
• Johnsons Air
• Meridian Airways
• MK Airlines

• Icelandair
• Loftleidir (DC-8 aircraft also operated by subsidiary International Air Bahama)

• Air India

• Garuda Indonesia

• Aer Turas
• Translift Airways (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)

• Alitalia ♠
• Aeral

Jamaica

• Air Jamaica

• Japan Air Lines ♠
• Japan Asia Airways

• African Safari Airways
• Kenya Airways
• Ribway Cargo Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)

Liberia

• Liberia World Airways

• United African Airlines

• Cargolux

• Maldives Airways

• Aeroleón
• Aeroméxico
• Aerotransportes Mas de Carga, Mas Air
• Aeronaves de Mexico ♠
• Aeropostal Cargo de México
• Mexicana de Aviación
• Transportación Aérea Mexicana (TAM)

• KLM ♠ (fleet included mixed passenger/freight DC-8 combi aircraft)
• Martinair

• Air New Zealand ♠
• Southern World Airlines
• TEAL

• Trans Sahel Airlines

• Pakistan International Airlines (Fleet included of 1 leased DC-8-21F and 1 leased DC-8-71CF for cargo flights)

• Air Panamá Internacional
• Arrow Cargo Panamá
• International Air Panamá (INAIR Panamá)

• Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (LAP) (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)

• Aerolíneas Peruanas (APSA)
• Aeronaves del Perú
• AeroPerú
• APISA Air Cargo
• Faucett

• Philippine Airlines ♠

• Lot Polish Airlines (one Super DC-8-62 leased from Arrow Air in 1987-1988 for servicing the transatlantic line after the loss of one Il-62M)

Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)

• Scandinavian Airlines System ♠

• Saber Air

• African International Airways

• Korean Air

• Air Cargo Spain
• Air Spain
• Aviaco
• Cargosur
• Cygnus Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Iberia ♠
• Spantax

• Expo Aviation (FitsAir)

• Surinam Airways

• African International Airlines

• Air Sweden (founded as Time Air Sweden. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Interswede

• Balair
• SATA Société Anonyme de Transports Aérien Genève
• Swissair ♠
• Brisair

• Air Siam
• Thai Airways

Turkey

• Birgenair

• Bravo Cargo Services

• British Cargo Airlines
• IAS Cargo Airlines
• Transmeridian Air Cargo

• ABX Air
• Airborne Express
• Airlift International ♠
• Air Marshall Islands (operated a mixed passenger/freight DC-8-62 combi aircraft)
• American Flyers Airline ♠
• American International Airways
• Arrow Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Astar Air Cargo (previously operated as DHL Airways. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft flying for DHL)
• Air Transport International (ATI) (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• BAX Global (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• Braniff International Airways ♠
• Capitol International Airways ♠
• Challenge Air Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Delta Air Lines ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• Eastern Airlines ♠
• Emery Worldwide (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Evergreen International Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft. Evergreen also operated a DC-8-73 for Air India Cargo)
• FedEx Express^[4] (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft formerly operated by Flying Tiger Line)
• Flagship Express (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• Flying Tiger Line ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Gulf Air Transport (renamed Trans Ocean Airways. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Kalitta Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• MGM Grand Air
• National Airlines ♠
• National Airlines (N8) (cargo operator. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Northwest Orient Airlines ♠
• Overseas National Airways ♠
• Pacific East Air
• Pan American World Airways ♠
• Pan American-Grace Airways ♠ (also known as Panagra)
• Rich International Airways
• Samaritan's Purse (currently operates a converted DC-8-72CF aircraft)
• Saturn Airways ♠
• Seaboard World Airlines ♠
• Southern Air Transport (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Skybus Cargo Charters (currently operates converted Super DC-8-72 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Trans Caribbean Airways ♠
• Trans Continental
• Trans International Airlines ♠ (also operated as Transamerica Airlines. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• United Air Lines ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
• UPS Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
• Universal Airlines ♠
• Wien Air Alaska (contract cargo operations for UPS)
• World Airways
• Zantop International Airlines

• PLUNA

• VIASA ♠

• Zambia Airways (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)

Military and government operators

• Congolese Air Force^[5] - One remained in use in late 2016.^[6]

• French Air Force^[7]

• Government of Gabon (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)

• Spanish Air Force

• Government of Oman (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)

• Peruvian Air Force (two DC-8-62-CFs purchased in 1982–83 for the Presidential flight.)^[8]

• Philippine Air Force

• Royal Thai Air Force (two DC-8-62AFs acquired in 1982.)^[9]

• Government of Togo (operated by BTL - Base de Transport de Lomé)^[10]

• NASA (aircraft was a converted DC-8-72)
• United States Navy

Corporate operators

The Douglas DC-8 is and has been operated by corporate operators.

• ORBIS International operated a DC-8 as a flying hospital

References

• "Andean Air Power...The Peruvian Air Force". Air International, May 1988. Vol. 34, No. 5. pp. 224–235, 240.
• Endres, Günter G. World Airline Fleets 1979. Hounslow, UK: Airline Publications and Sales Ltd., 1979. .
• Francillon, Rene J., McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920, Putnam & Company Ltd, 1979, .
• Pocock, Chris. Thailand Hones its Air Defences". Air International, Volume 31, No. 3, September 1986. pp. 113–121, 168.

Notes and References

1. http://www.airliners.net, photos of DC-8-71 and DC-8-73 aircraft (advanced search)
2. Endres 1979, pp. 17–18.
3. Endres 1979, p. 28.
4. Web site: Federal Express (FedEx) Fleet Details and History. Planespotters.net. 22 August 2015. 20 August 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140820042245/http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/Federal-Express-(FedEx)?show=historic#AirlineFleetList. live.
5. Web site: Aircraft Quick Search: DC-8. June 19, 2014. June 19, 2014. CH-Aviation.com.
6. Last Military DC-8 . . March 2017 . 92 . 3 . 27 . 0306-5634.
7. Francillon 1979, p. 597.
8. Air International May 1988, p. 232.
9. Pocock 1986, p. 119.
10. Web site: Aircraft Quck Search: DC-8. June 19, 2014. June 19, 2014. CH-Aviation.com.