Pan Am operated the first commercial Boeing 747SP flight, launching the type on its New York–Tokyo route in 1976.
The Boeing 747SP was a shortened, lighter version of the standard 747. “SP” meant Special Performance, and the design traded passenger capacity for greater range and higher speed. Boeing developed it for especially long nonstop routes, including services crossing the Pacific.
Pan Am was the launch customer for the 747SP and began commercial operations with the aircraft in April 1976. The type could carry fewer passengers than other 747 variants, but its reduced weight allowed it to fly farther. Pan Am’s New York–Tokyo service demonstrated the aircraft’s long-range purpose.
The 747SP was never as popular as the regular 747 because airlines generally preferred greater seating capacity. Only 45 were built. Iran Air later used a 747SP for one of the world’s longest nonstop commercial routes, between New York and Tehran, until the route ended in 1979.