The Boeing 757 will go down as one of Boeing's most beloved aircraft that continues to see extensive service with major carriers today, including the likes of Delta Air Lines and United Airlines . The original version of the 757 was the 757-200 which entered service in 1983, followed by the stretched 757-300 which arrived over 15 years later. With a production run that lasted over two decades, the Boeing 757 attracted over 1,000 orders before Boeing decided to stop production in 2004.
By then, most carriers were looking to Boeing's 737 and Airbus' A320 family of aircraft to handle their short and medium-haul networks, leaving the 757 out of favor. Orders for the narrowbody would soon run dry, although the aircraft has still formed an integral part of many fleets since production ceased. While passenger operators of the 757 are dwindling by the year, the aircraft has made for an excellent converted freighter, with hundreds of cargo 757s in service today and likely to remain so for many years.
Many believe Boeing should have persisted with the 757 program, or at least have released a new mid-size aircraft since ending 757 production, but it never did. Why Boeing stopped 757 production When the 757 first entered the market in the early 1980s, it proved a versatile aircraft capable of delivering capacity while still maintaining favorable operating economics on shorter routes. It enjoyed great popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, with its production rate reaching highs of around 100.
