Northwest 727s on brink of going north

NORTHWEST AIRLINES (NWA) is close to a decision to phase out its Boeing 727s. A senior manager says: "We will get rid of those [727s]. I think you will hear something soon."

Officially, the airline claims that it has not finished a review of its 150-seat aircraft fleet, which now consists of 55 Boeing 727-200s and 50 Airbus A320s. Only the A320s meet Stage 3 noise limits.

The airline has already begun hushkitting its 97 McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30s, which include some 30 acquired in the past year. Major 727 operators Delta Airlines and USAir have decided to retain and hushkit their aircraft. o United, although it has not announced a definite intention, is known to favour keeping its 727s.

Source: Flight International