The Boeing 757 is a medium-range airliner developed in the early 1980s to replace the aging Boeing 727 series. The 757 shared many features (such as wing design, onboard equipment and so on) with the Boeing 767, which was developed in parallel.
Production of the 757 lasted for 22 years from 1982 to 2004, during which 1,048 planes were made in several different versions. The Boeing 757-200 and 757-300 became the primary passenger variants, while the Boeing 757-200PF (Package Freighter) and 757-200SF (Special Freighter) were cargo-hauling adaptations of the -200.
The first Boeing 757-200 came into service in 1983 for the no-longer-extand Eastern Air Lines. Unfortunately, the large size of the jet prevented it from being able to completely replace the smaller 727, but the 757 nevertheless became the medium-range airliner of choice amongst US and European airlines for lightly laden flights of 4,000-6,000 km.
In 1999, the design of the 757-200 was updated to the Boeing 757-300, which had a longer fuselage and more passenger accomodation. The first 757-300 was delivered to the German charter airline Condor. Unlike its immediate predecessor, the -300 saw little success on the market, leading the Boeing Corporation to terminate further development of the jet, and promoting use of the Boeing 737-900 in lieu of the 757.
