Eastern Air Lines 737-800 spotted

Nov 5, 2014by Brian Bostick in Things With Wings

Eastern Air Lines, a new airline based in Miami, Florida, using the same name and logo as the original Eastern Air Lines that operated 1930-1991, has had its first aircraft painted. The aircraft, a 2006 model 737-800 previously operated by Kenya Airways, was spotted shortly after painting in Shannon, Ireland, on Tuesday.

While many spotters and enthusiasts are undoubtedly excited to see the original Eastern colors flying again, it's especially thrilling to see the colors appear on a 737, a type that the original Eastern Air Lines never operated.

According to Aviation Week Intelligence Network's Fleet database, today's Eastern Air Lines currently has 20 MRJ90s and 10 737-800s on order. The original Eastern Air Lines ordered and took delivery of 408 new jets during its life, comprised of 32 A300B4-100s/-200s, 15 720s, 75 727-100s, 88 727-200s, 25 757-200s, 16 DC-8-20s, 1 DC-8-50, 17 DC-8-61s, 6 DC-8-63PFs, 15 DC-9-10s, 72 DC-9-30s, 9 DC-9-50s, and 37 L-1011-1s. More than 93% of those 408 aircraft have since been retired or destroyed in accidents with the remainder still around today, mostly as freighters.