Iraqi Airways to Auction Two 40-Year-Old Boeing 747s

DALLAS - If you are looking to buy a second-hand Boeing 747, now may be your chance as Iraqi Airways (IA) prepares to auction a pair of its old jumbo jets.

The Pratt & Whitney JT9D powered aircraft, a Boeing 747-200 (TI-AGP) and 747SP (YI-ALM), have been parked at Tozeur-Nefta Airport (TOE) in western Tunisia since 1991, following their retirement after the Gulf War. Both 747s were flown to TOE to protect them from potential attack in Iraq.

The smaller of the pair, YI-ALM (MSN 22858), was delivered to IA in August 1982. For many years it was used by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as his government jet. Meanwhile, YI-AGP (MSN 22366) was delivered to the airline in July 1982. It was configured with 45 seats in first class and 285 in economy.

YI-AGP (left) and YI-ALM (right) at TOE. Photo: Adbar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Fleet Upgrade

Iraqi Airways is in the process of updating its fleet. Recently the carrier has welcomed the Boeing 787-8, 737-8 and Airbus A220-300s to its inventory. It also has several of the larger Boeing 737-10s on order, with deliveries commencing in 2024. The airline is using the new airframes to develop its network, including opening up new long-haul destinations.

The auction will be held on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, with each 747 having an estimated value of US$494,000. Bidders will be asked to provide a deposit of 20% of the value, and the Iraqi Ministry of Finance will be on hand to oversee the auction. The winning bidder will have seven days following to finalize the transaction. However, the aircraft’s future usage comes with certain conditions, and these will be disclosed at the time of sale.

Featured Image: Iraqi Airways Boeing 747SP (YI-ALM). Photo: Sunil Gupta (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2), via Wikimedia Commons.

https://airwaysmag.com/iraqi-airways-first-787/