On December 7, Bangladesh Biman Airlines said that it would pull from service what is believed to be the last McDonnell Douglas DC-10 still carrying passengers.            

The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 originally entered service in 1971, flying passengers between Los Angeles and Chicago.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) once grounded the entire fleet of DC-10’s for more than one month after a crash where an engine separated from the airframe during its takeoff run.

The landmark move on behalf of Biman is part of routine commercial service.  Aviation experts and fans are hoping that they will have at least one more chance to fly on the craft…and they might just get their wish.

The big jet is primarily used for cargo carriers, like FedEx.  The major airline said however, that fans and experts interested in flying on a passenger version of the airplane will get their chance to live out their dream in February 2014.  Biman plans on making seats available on the jet for a final flight from Bangladesh to England.

In the event that interest persists, some scenic flights may be flown from England, as long as enthusiasm encourages this.

McDonnell Douglas produced its last DC-10 in 1989 after a run of nearly 450 examples.