The Boeing 747SP was developed early in the 747 program, with the aim of meeting specific airline requests. This 'Special Performance' model first flew with Pan Am in 1976. Boeing delivered 45 747SPs, and the type has been operated by many airlines, especially in the US, Middle East, and Asia, over the years.

The Boeing 747

The Boeing 747, of course, needs no introduction. Entering service in January 1970 with Pan Am, it was conceived as a larger replacement for the 707. Pan American World Airways worked with Boeing on the concept of an aircraft around two and a half times the size of the Boeing 707, thus creating the 747.

The 747 changed the economics of flying at the time. The increased capacity gave airlines more scope for different pricing and ticket types. It also allowed new innovations with onboard facilities and the introduction of new classes of travel.

The initial 747-100 was soon followed by the 747-200, with the same fuselage and capacity but improved engines. The later 747-300 and 747-400 increased capacity. But there was also a niche desire for a lower capacity, higher range variant.

Iran Air Boeing 747SP
Iran Air was a key advocate for the 7474SP's development. Photo: contri via Flickr

Introducing the 747SP

Alongside the changes being seen with the high capacity the 747 introduced, there was another desire growing - for longer nonstop flights. Pan Am and Iran Air were looking at the possibility of direct flights between Tehran and New York. Pan Am was also considering other Middle Eastern routes, and possibly New York to Tokyo.

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These longer routes could not be served by the 747-100, nor the 707. Trijet rivals, including the DC-10, also could not handle them. With modification, though, the 747 could. This aspect gave Boeing an opportunity for a new market, of which the result was a shortened 'Special Performance' version of the 747-100.

The shortened 747SP could meet the range needed for these ultra-long routes. But it also had an appeal for airlines wanting a lower capacity aircraft for some routes (with 747-100 commonality), and also to operate at smaller airports.

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The Boeing 747SP is conspicuously shorter than its classmates. Photo: Getty Images

The 747SP is almost 15 meters shorter than the 747-100, with just four doors along the fuselage. It also has a larger tail and horizontal stabilizer. As a result, the typical three-class capacity was reduced from 366 to 276. But importantly, the range was increased from 4,620 NM (8,560 km) to 5,830 NM (10,800 km). The later 747-300 and 747-400 exceeded this, partly explaining the 747SP's limited popularity.

747SP launch customers - Pan Am and Iran Air

The 747SP entered service with Pan Am in 1976. Pan Am took 10 new 747SPs from Boeing, which passed to United Airlines later. It also acquired one more from Braniff Airways. Iran Air also introduced the 747SP in 1976, and it operated four aircraft. It was the last airline to retire them from commercial service, doing so in 2016

Other 747SP operators

While Pan Am and Iran Air's specific requirements gave rise to the 747SP, many other airlines were interested. The reasons for this typically boiled down to the aircraft's long-haul capabilities or its smaller size and capacity (for lower demand routes).

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Air Namibia operated four Boeing747SPs between 1976 and 1999. Photo: Tim Rees via Wikimedia Commons

Other airlines, who either made new orders or flew the type second-hand, include:

  • South African Airways has operated six aircraft. These have also been leased by South African to several airlines, including Air Mauritius, Alliance Air, Air Namibia, Luxair, and Air Malawi.
  • China Airlines flew four 747SPs, of which it retired the last in 1999. They have also operated with Mandarin Airlines.
  • Air China also flew four 747SPs, of which the last was retired in 2000.
  • Korean Air Lines - two aircraft.
  • Braniff International Airways - three aircraft.
  • TWA - three aircraft, later acquired by American Airlines
  • United Airlines took on Pan Am's aircraft in 1986.
  • Qantas used two 747SPs on flights from Syndey to Los Angeles.
  • Corsair - one aircraft.
  • Qatar Airways - one aircraft that soon passed to Qatar Amiri Flight.
  • Royal Air Maroc - one aircraft from South African Airways.
  • Syrian Arab Airlines - two aircraft.
  • Iraqi Airways - one aircraft.
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines - one aircraft.
  • Aerolineas Argentinas - one aircraft (acquired from Braniff).
Air China 747SP
One of Air China's Boeing 747SPs. Photo: Kambui via Wikimedia

Many governments have also operated the 747SP. Some of these were acquired after they came out of airline service. These include:

  • Saudi government.
  • Bahrain Royal Flight.
  • Royal Flight of Oman.
  • Qatar Amiri Flight.
  • Yemen government.
  • Dubai Royal Flight.
  • Iraqi government.
  • Brunei government.
  • Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight (Boeing ended 747SP production in 1982, but re-opened it in 1987 for a final order from the UAE government).
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Photo: Getty Images

Current 747SP operators

The 747SP left commercial service in 2016 when Iran Air retired its last aircraft. However, as of April 2022, four examples of the short-fuselage jumbo jet remain in use (according to data from ch-aviation.com). These are with:

  • Pratt & Whitney (as test aircraft) - two aircraft.
  • Sands Aviation, Las Vegas - one aircraft.
  • NASA - one aircraft (this is its SOFIA observatory aircraft).

With each of these aircraft being comfortably over 40 years old, it will be interesting to see how much longer the type remains active for, and in what roles.

The 747SP is a distinctive aircraft that served a valuable role for Boeing and several airlines in its time. There are still a few chances to see it flying, but the aircraft is now long out of passenger service. Let us know your thoughts about it and if you have ever flown on one in the comments.