Which airline was the launch customer for the Boeing 757?

Eastern Air Lines was the launch customer for the Boeing 757.

Eastern placed the first 757 order and introduced the aircraft to scheduled passenger service in 1983. The 757 was designed as a narrow-body successor to the Boeing 727, combining a relatively slender fuselage with modern high-bypass turbofan engines.

The aircraft became especially useful on medium- and long-range routes because it could carry more passengers and fly farther than many earlier single-aisle jets. Eastern operated the first 757-200 services after receiving the type in December 1982.

A common mix-up is confusing the launch customer with the airline that operated the first flight. Eastern Air Lines was both the launch customer and an early operator, while British Airways later became an important 757 user. The 757 family ultimately included passenger and freighter versions, with production ending in 2004.