Boeing 757 retirement marks Condor’s all-Airbus transition as airlines switch to A321neos
September 15, 2025
Condor is set to become the next significant operator to retire its fleet of ageing Boeing 757s in favour of Airbus’ new Airbus A321neo.
Condor to retire final Boeing 757s
The German leisure airline, Condor, is set to retire the last of its Boeing 757-300s in November 2025.
According to Planespotters.net, Condor has a total of seven 757s remaining in service from a total former fleet of 28.
All remaining 757s are stretched 757-300s, while the former fleet includes 20 smaller original 757-200s.
On 12 September, Condor stated it would operate an exclusive farewell flight on the 5th of November. The flight includes the sale of 75 tickets set to be auctioned via its Condor Shop. The flight will depart from Frankfurt and fly to Vienna, where a farewell event will be celebrated.
The retirement will complete Condor’s transformation to an all-Airbus fleet. It has previously operated Boeing 737s, 747s, and 767s.
Condor will continue to operate regular commercial flights with the 757 until 2nd November. The twilight weeks of Condor’s 757 will be spent connecting the German cities of Düsseldorf and Frankfurt with leisure destinations like Palma de Mallorca, Hurghada, Fuerteventura, and Gran Canaria.
Boeing 757 fading out
Condor’s remaining 757s are on average around 26 years old, which is around retirement age for single-aisle commercial aircraft.
A total of 1,050 Boeing 757s were produced, of which around half remain active. But all commercial passenger examples of these are approaching the end of their economic lives, with the youngest now around 21 years old.
US carriers Delta Air Lines and United Airlines remain the largest passenger operators of the type.
Many remaining 757s serve as freighters for airlines like FedEx Express and DHL. Freighter aircraft tend to be older than their passenger aircraft counterparts, and many retired passenger aircraft are converted to serve as freighters.
Jet2 was the final UK-based airline to operate the 757, retiring the last of its fleet in January 2025. Icelandair is now one of the most significant non-US airlines to operate the 757 for scheduled commercial flights. But these too are being phased out with final retirement expected by the end of 2026 as they are replaced by A321LRs and A321XLRs.
Boeing 757s will continue to fly for many years to come as special-use aircraft. For example, the US Air Force operates them as “Air Force Two” jets and other special aircraft, currently without retirement plans, while Donald Trump’s private jet is also a 757-200.
Some air forces are phasing out their 757s. The Royal New Zealand Air Force operates two 757-2K2s, although these have become something of a joke in the country.
They are ageing and have gained a reputation for breaking down, even leaving the Prime Minister and his retinue stranded briefly in 2024 before Air New Zealand stepped in.
The New Zealand Government announced in August 2025 that these would be replaced with two A321XLRs.
The mid-sized aeroplane gap
The pencil-shaped mid-sized Boeing 757 single-aisle passenger jet is one of the favourites among aviation enthusiasts. It first entered service in 1983 and remained in production until 2004, when the program was cancelled following a drop off in air travel and demand for the aircraft in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The cancellation left a mid-sized aeroplane gap in the market, which is now being partially filled by Airbus A321neo versions, such as the Airbus A321XLR (Xtra Long Range) single-aisle aircraft.
For the last decade, Boeing has considered producing a clean-sheet new aircraft popularly dubbed the Boeing 797. Despite numerous online rumours, the program appears to remain frozen as Boeing focuses on more pressing issues, such as obtaining FAA certificates for its 777X, MAX 7, and MAX 10.
