Still going strong – 767-300ER

The Boeing 767 was the first plane to prove the Extended Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS) concept – that an aircraft with only two engines could operate over long distances safely and reliably over water. Though commonplace today, but was a new idea in the 1980s when the original variants of the 767 debuted. Until then, long-range jets had three or four engines to ensure safety – but increasingly sophisticated and reliable engines meant that more efficient twin-engine jets could do the job as well. The 767-300ER, a stretched version of the original 767, debuted in 1988 and became the program’s most popular variant.

Though now superseded by the Boeing 787-8, the 767-300ER passenger airplane was still being built and delivered up until 2014 – three years after 787 deliveries began. The aircraft seen here was one of the last two-dozen produced, and was delivered new to LAN Airlines. The 767-300F Freighter continues in production, and the aircraft is the basis for the KC-46 Tanker program, which will be in production well into the 2020s.