First Boeing 737 Short Field Performance Takes its Final Flight

A Gol Linhas Aéreas Boeing 737-800 registered as PR-GTA was officially retired from the carrier fleet on June 5. This aircraft had the distinction of being the first Boeing 737 Next Generation specially adapted to operate on short runways.

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The aircraft started its final flight departing from the International Airport of Belo Horizonte in Confins, where Gol’s Maintenance Center is located. Its final destination was Liege, Belgium, with a technical stop on the Island of Sal, Cape Verde. According to our partner, Aeroin, the aircraft will be converted into a freighter and delivered to a new operator soon.

Since its founding in 2000, Gol Linhas Aéreas has strived to position itself as a competitor in the face of Varig’s decline. In 2004, the airline faced the challenge of operating a high-demand route between Santos Dumont (SDU) and Congonhas (CGH) airports, with limited runway lengths.

Boeing 737-800 and the Short Field Performance

To solve this problem Gol requested Boeing, its main aircraft supplier, to modify the Boeing 737-800s to adapt them to shorter runways. The result was the development of the Short Field Performance (SFP) variant for the entire 737 Next Generation family.

The SFP modifications include adjustments to the front wing slats and engine improvements to increase power during takeoff. Another significant feature is the angle of the wing’s aerodynamic brakes, which has been increased from 30 to 60 degrees, allowing for greater braking during landing.

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The Legacy of the First Boeing 737-800 SFP: PR-GTA

The PR-GTA, the world’s first Boeing 737-800 SFP, joined the Gol fleet in 2006. Since then, the airline standardized its Boeing 737-800 fleet with this improvement package. But Gol is not the only airline that has adopted this modification. Companies such as the Irish Ryanair have also implemented these improvements, expanding their operating capacity on shorter runways and optimizing the efficiency of their operations.