The following is a list of past and present operators of the Douglas DC-8 including those airlines which flew converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft:http://www.airliners.net, photos of DC-8-71 and DC-8-73 aircraft (advanced search)
♠ - Denotes original DC-8 operators
Civil operators
Silk Way Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Belgian International Air Services CargoLion Delta Air Transport Pomair
BETA Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) DiGregorio Digex Panair do Brasil Skymaster Airlines Transportes Charter do Brasil Varig VASP (fleet included former Air Canada Cargo Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
Air CanadaEndres 1979, pp. 17–18. (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft operated by Air Canada Cargo) Canadian Pacific AirlinesEndres 1979, p. 28. ♠ (later renamed CP Air) Minerve Canada Nationair Canada Nordair (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) Points of Call Airlines Quebecair Swiftair Cargo Trans-Canada Airlines ♠ (became Air Canada) Worldways Canada
Cayman Airways
Air Centrafrique
Fast Air LanChile Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
Tampa Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
Air Zaïre
Air Afrique ♠
Cubana
Cyprus Airways
Hewa Bora Airways Kinshasa Airways Trans Air Cargo Service
Scanair Sterling Airways
Finnair Kar-Air Spear Air
Aéromaritime Air France Aire d'Evasions (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Minerve (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Point Air Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI) ♠ Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) ♠ UTA ♠
Atlantis ♠ Condor (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) German Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Lufthansa Lufthansa Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Südflug
Airlift International Air Charter Express Ghana Airways Johnsons Air Meridian Airways MK Airlines
Globo Air
Icelandair Loftleidir (DC-8 aircraft also operated by subsidiary International Air Bahama)
Air India
Garuda Indonesian Airways
Aer Turas Translift Airways (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
Alitalia ♠ Aeral
Air Jamaica
Japan Air Lines ♠ Japan Asia Airways
African Safari Airways Kenya Airways Ribway Cargo Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
Liberia World Airways
United African Airlines
Cargolux
Maldives Airways
Aeroleón Aeroméxico Aerotransportes Mas de Carga, Mas Air Aeronaves de Mexico ♠ Aeropostal Cargo de México Mexicana de Aviación Transportación Aérea Mexicana (TAM)
KLM ♠ (fleet included mixed passenger/freight DC-8 combi aircraft) Martinair
Air New Zealand ♠ Southern World Airlines TEAL
Trans Sahel Airlines Trans-Air Service (leased from Middle East Airlines)
Pakistan International Airlines (Fleet included of 1 leased DC-8-21F and 1 leased DC-8-71CF for cargo flights)
Air Panamá Internacional Arrow Cargo Panamá International Air Panamá (INAIR Panamá)
Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas (LAP) (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
Aerolíneas Peruanas (APSA) Aeronaves del Perú AeroPerú APISA Air Cargo Faucett Skybus Jet Cargo (currently operated two converted DC-8 freighters)
Philippine Airlines ♠
Lot Polish Airlines (one Super DC-8-62 leased from Arrow Air in 1987-1988 for servicing the transatlantic line after the loss of one Il-62M) Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) Scandinavian Airlines System ♠
Saber Air
African International Airways
Korean Air
Air Cargo Spain Air Spain Aviaco Cargosur Cygnus Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Iberia ♠ Spantax
(formerly Ceylon) Air Ceylon Expo Aviation (now FitsAir)
Surinam Airways
African International Airlines
Air Sweden (founded as Time Air Sweden. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Interswede
Balair SATA Société Anonyme de Transports Aérien Genève Swissair ♠ Brisair
Air Siam Thai Airways
Birgenair
China Airlines (Leased DC-8-63 from Flying Tiger Line in the late 1960s for routes to Japan and the United States)
Bravo Cargo Services
British Cargo Airlines IAS Cargo Airlines Transmeridian Air Cargo
ABX Air/Airborne Express Airlift International ♠ Air Marshall Islands (operated a mixed passenger/freight DC-8-62 combi aircraft) American Flyers Airline ♠ American International Airways Arrow Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Astar Air Cargo (previously operated as DHL Airways. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft flying for DHL) Air Transport International (ATI) (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) BAX Global (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) Braniff International Airways ♠ Capitol International Airways ♠ Challenge Air Cargo (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Delta Air Lines ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) Eastern Airlines ♠ Emery Worldwide Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Evergreen International Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft. Evergreen also operated a DC-8-73 for Air India Cargo) FedEx Express (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft formerly operated by Flying Tiger Line) Flagship Express Services (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) Flying Tiger Line ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Gulf Air Transport (renamed Trans Ocean Airways. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) Hawaiian Airlines Interstate Airlines Kalitta Air (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft) MGM Grand Air National Airlines ♠ National Airlines (1983–1985) (fleet included a Super DC-8-71 aircraft) National Airlines (N8) (cargo operator. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Northwest Orient Airlines ♠ Orion Air Overseas National Airways ♠ Pacific East Air Pan American World Airways ♠ Pan American-Grace Airways ♠ (also known as Panagra) Rich International Airways Rosenbalm Aviation Samaritan's Purse (operated a converted DC-8-72CF aircraft, which was retired 11/14/2025) Saturn Airways ♠ Seaboard World Airlines ♠ Southern Air Transport (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Trans Caribbean Airways ♠ Trans Continental Trans International Airlines ♠ (also operated as Transamerica Airlines. Fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Trans International Airlines (1985–1989) United Air Lines ♠ (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft) UPS Airlines (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 and Super DC-8-73 aircraft) Universal Airlines ♠ Wien Air Alaska (contract cargo operations for UPS) World Airways Zantop International Airlines
PLUNA
VIASA ♠
Zambia Airways (fleet included converted Super DC-8-71 aircraft)
Military and government operators
Congolese Air Force - One remained in use in late 2016.
French Air ForceFrancillon 1979, p. 597.
Government of Gabon (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
Spanish Air Force
Government of Oman (fleet included converted Super DC-8-73 aircraft)
Peruvian Air Force (two DC-8-62-CFs purchased in 1982–83 for the Presidential flight.)Air International May 1988, p. 232.
Philippine Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force (two DC-8-62AFs acquired in 1982. Locally designated B.L.10 ().)Pocock 1986, p. 119.
Government of Togo (operated by BTL - Base de Transport de Lomé)
NASA (aircraft was a converted DC-8-72) United States Navy
Corporate operators The Douglas DC-8 is and has been operated by corporate operators. ORBIS International operated a DC-8 as a flying hospital
References
"Andean Air Power...The Peruvian Air Force". Air International, May 1988. Vol. 34, No. 5. pp. 224–235, 240. Endres, Günter G. World Airline Fleets 1979. Hounslow, UK: Airline Publications and Sales Ltd., 1979. . Francillon, Rene J., McDonnell Douglas Aircraft since 1920, Putnam & Company Ltd, 1979, . Pocock, Chris. Thailand Hones its Air Defences". Air International, Volume 31, No. 3, September 1986. pp. 113–121, 168.