Decline in Scheduled Boeing 757 Passenger Flights
The number of scheduled passenger flights on Boeing 757s is rapidly decreasing. As retirement progresses, 84% of the remaining Boeing 757 services are within the United States. Delta Air Lines holds 102 Boeing 757-200 and 757-300 aircraft, while United Airlines operates 61 of these planes.
Delta and United Airlines’ Current Operations
Despite Delta Air Lines being the largest operator of passenger 757s globally, none of its routes are featured in this discussion due to shorter flight durations. According to Cirium Diio data, the Boeing 757 services comprise less than 3% of Delta’s transcontinental flights, contrasted with 14% for United Airlines.
Long Haul Boeing 757 Flights in September
Analyzing Cirium data for scheduled services on Boeing 757, known as the “Greased Bullet,” reveals certain flights exceeding eight hours maximum block time (chocks-off-to-chocks-on) in September. United Airlines is set to replace many of these routes with the incoming Airbus A321XLR.
| Max. Block Time | Direction Of Route | September Operations |
|---|---|---|
| 8h 40m | Stockholm Arlanda to Newark | United (757-200; last departure September 1) |
| 8h 35m | Malaga to Newark | United (daily 757-200 until September 24) |
| 8h 30m | Brussels to Newark | United (daily 757-200) |
| 8h 25m | Bilbao to Newark | United (three weekly 757-200 until September 24) |
| 8h 25m | Faro to Newark | United (four weekly 757-200 until September 23) |
| 8h 25m | Edinburgh to Chicago O’Hare | United (daily 757-200) |
| 8h 15m | Shannon to Chicago O’Hare | United (daily 757-200 until September 24) |
| 8h 10m | Edinburgh to Washington Dulles | United (daily 757-200) |
| 8h 05m | Dublin to Washington Dulles | United (daily 757-200) |
| 8h 05m | Keflavik to Denver | Icelandair (daily 757-200) |
| 8h 05m | Keflavik to Portland | Icelandair (six weekly 757-200) |
| 8h 05m | Porto to Newark | United (two daily 757-200 until September 24, then daily) |
New Routes from the US
On May 16, 2025, United Airlines began its first-ever service from the US to Faro in Southern Portugal’s Algarve region, departing from Newark where United commands 72% of the flights. Similarly, on May 31, United launched a service from Newark to Bilbao, marking the first transatlantic flights for the city located in Northern Spain.
Icelandair’s Boeing 757 Operations
In September, Icelandair’s 757-200 aircraft operate routes from Keflavik to Denver and Portland, each with a maximum block time of 8 hours and 5 minutes. During winter, these routes transition to the 160-seat 737 MAX 8, optimizing capacity for off-peak seasons.
