Aircraft operated
A selected fleet history
This concise record organizes the aircraft that best explain the airline’s development. It is a historical overview, not an exhaustive fleet registry.
Early fleet
AircraftApprox. yearsRoleNotes
Douglas DC-3DC-31948–1963Early passenger serviceOpened Piedmont's scheduled route network
Fairchild F-27F-271958–1972Regional turbopropModernized shorter routes
Jet era
AircraftApprox. yearsRoleNotes
Boeing 737-200737-201 / 201A · View aircraft reference →1968–1989Short- and medium-haul jetA signature Piedmont type
Boeing 727727-200 · View aircraft reference →1969–1989Trunk and hub serviceSupported rapid network growth
Later fleet
AircraftApprox. yearsRoleNotes
Boeing 767767-200ER1987–1989Long-haulUsed for transatlantic expansion
Historical significance
Piedmont showed how a disciplined regional airline could grow into a major hub-and-spoke carrier. Its Charlotte hub remains one of the most important legacies in U.S. airline geography.
Related airline histories
Sources and further reading
Fleet years are approximate where aircraft entered or left service gradually.