Boeing launched the 757 in 1978 alongside the widebody 767, aiming to replace the 727. Eastern Air Lines and British Airways were the launch customers. Boeing shared the cockpit and much of the systems design with the 767, which saved airlines money on training. The prototype first flew on February 19, 1982, and Eastern began service on January 1, 1983. Airlines got a jet that punched above its size.
Powerful Rolls-Royce RB211 or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines gave it superb climb and strong performance from hot or high airports. Nothing its size climbed the way it did, and pilots still rank it among the best-performing airliners built. ETOPS approval in 1986, which lets a twinjet fly far from diversion airports, opened transatlantic routes to a narrowbody. That single approval changed transatlantic economics for good.
Boeing built 1,050 757s, including 913 of the -200, before production ended in October 2004. The type anchored US domestic trunk flying and later found a niche on thin transatlantic routes. No true replacement exists, so Delta, United and Icelandair still fly big fleets. The industry keeps debating a middle of the market successor, but none has been built. Hundreds more serve FedEx, UPS and DHL as freighters.