Did you know that Air Canada was a Boeing 747 operator for more than three decades? As it happens, the Canadian flag carrier operated several different variants of Boeing's famous 'jumbo jet' over a 33-year spell. Let's take a look back at its relationship with the 747.

Five 747-100s

The first variant from the 747 family that Air Canada flew was the -100 series. According to data from ATDB.aero, the Canadian flag carrier operated a total of five of these quadjets. It received the first three of these in 1971, a year after the type entered service. Its very first arrival was C-FTOA, which joined the airline in February that year. C-FTOB followed in March.

C-FTOC was Air Canada's final 747-100 arrival in 1971, joining the carrier in June that year. Just under two years later, in May 1973, C-FTOD became the fourth jumbo to join Air Canada. C-FTOE was the fifth and final 747-100 to arrive, doing so in May 1974.

The first two 747-100s left Air Canada for pastures new in the mid-1980s. C-FTOA left in July 1984 for National Airlines, where was re-registered as N749R. May 1985 then saw C-FTOB leave for Iberia, where it became EC-DXE. The last three examples stayed in Canada, and were scrapped in 1998 in Miami (C-FTOC and C-FTOD) and Marana (C-FTOE).

The 747-200

Air Canada also flew Boeing three 747-200B aircraft. These quadjets each carried an 'SCD' suffix, standing for 'Side Cargo Door.' Two of these aircraft came to Air Canada brand new, namely C-GAGA (March 1975) and C-GAGB (January 1979). Meanwhile, the third and final example, C-GAGC, came to Air Canada second hand in July 1987.

C-GAGC was 10 years old, having flown for Qantas since October 1977. It spent 12 years with Air Canada, before being scrapped in Marana in January 1999. Air Canada's first 747-200, C-GAGA, was also scrapped in Arizona at this point. It stayed with the airline for its entire career, save for brief lease periods to Air National (1983) and Garuda Indonesia (1993).

In terms of C-GAGB, Air Canada's brand new 1979 arrival, this aircraft was also leased to Garuda Indonesia. This lasted from March to May in 1997. Like its counterparts, it left Air Canada to be scrapped in Marana, Arizona in January 1999, aged 20 years old.

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Into the 21st century with the 747-400

Moving onto the popular 747-400, Air Canada actually operated two versions of this variant. The first of these was the standard 747-400, of which the Canadian flag carrier flew four examples in the early 2000s. These aircraft joined from Canadian Airlines, which it acquired in 2001. All of them had left by 2003, and have since been scrapped or left derelict.

Meanwhile, like the 747-200, Air Canada also flew three 747-400s with the 'SCD' suffix. These quadjets joined the airline in 1991, at which point they were brand new. These were the last 747s to leave Air Canada's fleet, doing so in 2004. All three remain active today, aged 30 years old, flying for Aerotranscargo (two examples) and the Dubai Air Wing (one).

How many of Air Canada's different Boeing 747 variants did you fly on? Do you have a particular favorite? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!