Israeli strike at Iranian airport destroys last Boeing 747-100 still flying and used as KC-747 tanker.

An Israeli airstrike at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran destroyed an Iranian Boeing KC-747 aerial refueling aircraft on March 6, 2026, ending the operational service of the last Boeing 747-100 still flying worldwide.

An Israeli airstrike at Tehran Mehrabad Airport on March 6, 2026, destroyed the last Boeing 747-100 still flying worldwide, which was used by Iran as a KC747 aerial refueling aircraft. The aircraft was a Boeing 747-131 tanker derived from the first Boeing 747-100 generation and was 55 years old. Its destruction ended the operational service of the final Boeing 747-100 variant still operating anywhere in the world.
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The Iranian KC-747 was a Boeing 747-131 initially ordered by Eastern Air Lines but finally delivered to Trans World Airlines in 1971, before undergoing a tanker conversion in 1975 for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. (Picture source: Iranian MoD and X/@BabakTaghvaee1)

On March 6, 2026, an Israeli airstrike conducted at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran destroyed what was identified as an Iranian Boeing KC-747 aerial refueling aircraft, eliminating the last Boeing 747-100 still flying anywhere in the world. The aircraft was a Boeing 747-131 converted tanker, registered as 5-8107, with manufacturer serial number 20082 and an age of 55 years. The aircraft was parked on the apron when it was hit during a strike that reportedly destroyed up to sixteen aircraft linked to units of the Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force. Fire and structural damage were visible across the fuselage and wings in stallite imagery following the strike, ending the operational service of the earliest version of the Boeing 747 introduced in 1970.

The Iranian KC-747 was based on a Boeing 747-131 airframe produced in the early phase of 747 production. The aircraft had initially been ordered by Eastern Air Lines, but the order was not taken up, and the airliner was delivered to Trans World Airlines in 1971. After several years of airline service, the aircraft returned to Boeing in 1975 and was converted into a tanker for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. The conversion added refueling equipment and internal fuel transfer systems, allowing the airliner to supply fuel to combat aircraft in flight. The aircraft remained in service after the 1979 revolution under the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force and continued flying for more than five decades. Its destruction removed the only KC-747 tanker known to have been operating anywhere in the world.

The Boeing 747-100 was the first production model of the Boeing 747 program and entered airline service on January 22, 1970, with Pan American World Airways. The aircraft conducted its first flight on February 9, 1969, and introduced the first widebody passenger cabin used in commercial aviation. Its fuselage design allowed two aisles and a cabin width of about 6.1 meters, enabling passenger capacities typically ranging from 350 to more than 400 seats, depending on configuration. The 747-100 featured a distinctive upper deck positioned behind the cockpit, initially used as a lounge area and later converted into additional seating. This configuration, which became the defining visual characteristic of the entire 747 family, significantly increased passenger capacity on long-haul routes compared with earlier narrow-body jetliners. This capacity also allowed airlines to reduce the cost per seat on intercontinental flights while increasing overall passenger volume.

A total of 205 Boeing 747-100 aircraft were produced between 1968 and 1986 before Boeing transitioned to newer variants, such as the 747-200, which had a higher maximum takeoff weight and improved range. The Boeing 747-100 measured about 70.6 m in length with a wingspan of about 59.6 m and a height of about 19.3 m, making it the largest commercial airliner in the world at the time of its introduction. Early variants had a maximum takeoff weight of roughly 735,000 pounds (333,400 kg) and were powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT9D turbofan engines producing roughly 43,500 pounds of thrust each. This allowed the airliner to possess a typical cruise speed of about Mach 0.84 (roughly 907 km/h) and a range of more than 5,000 nautical miles depending on payload. The large fuselage cross-section also allowed significant cargo capacity in the lower deck compartments, establishing the 747 as the primary long-range widebody aircraft used by major international airlines during the 1970s and 1980s.

Although the Boeing 747-100 was primarily designed as a passenger airliner, the airframe proved adaptable to modifications, such as cargo conversions and specialized missions. Boeing developed several passenger-to-freighter conversion programs in the 1970s, which involved a structural reinforcement of the main deck and the installation of a large cargo door. Converted aircraft could carry roughly 210,000 pounds (95,000 kg) of cargo, with up to 29 standard cargo pallets on the main deck using mechanized loading systems. The large internal volume and structural capacity also made the 747 suitable for non-commercial roles, including airborne command posts, presidential transport aircraft, and test aircraft for new aerospace technologies. Over time, these specialized applications extended the service life of many 747 airframes beyond their original airline careers.

However, the Boeing 747 was not deemed a good candidate for any military aerial refueling program due to its very large size, high operating costs, runway requirements, and inefficient fuel offload, making it less practical for routine aerial refueling operations. Therefore, the Iranian KC-747/747-100 tanker aircraft represented an almost unique adaptation of the Boeing 747 airframe for aerial refueling tasks. Unlike conventional tanker aircraft such as the KC-135, KC-46, or KC-10, which were designed specifically for refueling missions, the Iranian KC-747 was not a specialized tanker design, but a converted commercial airframe, meaning that the airframe received refueling equipment, including a boom system, instead of being designed from the start for this kind of mission. Its large internal fuel capacity allowed it to carry a significantly larger fuel load than smaller tanker aircraft (exceeding 48,000 US gallons, over 180,000 liters), allowing Iranian fighter jets to extend their operational radius or remain airborne for longer patrol periods. However, while the use of a widebody aircraft also allowed a longer endurance during refueling missions, it also meant that this was a bigger, and so more strategic, target.

Iran acquired several Boeing aircraft configured for aerial refueling prior to the 1979 revolution, including tanker versions of the Boeing 707 and modified Boeing 747 aircraft. These aircraft were intended to support long-range operations of fighter aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom and the F-14 Tomcat. The large fuel capacity of the 747 airframe made it particularly suited for extended refueling missions across long distances. Iran later operated three Boeing 747-200 aircraft modified as tankers in addition to the KC-747 derived from the 747-100. Over time, maintenance of these aircraft became increasingly complex due to sanctions restricting access to spare parts and manufacturer support. Iranian maintenance facilities relied heavily on domestic repairs and component recovery from retired aircraft to keep these aging airframes operational.

The destruction of the KC-747, therefore, had both operational and historical implications. From an operational perspective, the destruction directly affects Iran’s ability to maintain sustained air patrols over the Persian Gulf, protect strategic infrastructure, or respond to distant threats. From a historical perspective, the aircraft was the last operational example of the Boeing 747-100, the aircraft model that inaugurated the jumbo jet era in commercial aviation. The 747 family later evolved through multiple improved variants, including the 747-200, 747-300, 747-400, and the final 747-8 generation. While those later variants remain in limited service with cargo operators and specialized missions, the original 747-100 had already disappeared from airline fleets decades earlier. Therefore, the destruction of the Iranian KC-747 closed the final chapter of operational service for the first generation of Boeing’s jumbo jet.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.