What airlines still use flight engineers?

The last major US passenger airline to fly aircraft equipped with a flight engineer's station was Northwest Airlines, who retired their final 747-200s from charter service in 2009. The final major cargo operator to employ flight engineers was FedEx Express when they retired the last of their 727s in 2013.



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They assist the pilot during flight by monitoring and operating many of the systems and instruments and making any required in-flight repairs. In a three-member crew, the pilot is called the captain, the co-pilot is the first officer, and the flight engineer is the second officer.

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According to the requirements specified in the FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet (pertinent excerpts shown below) the B737-800 requires a minimum flightcrew of 2 - a Pilot and Copilot.

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The pilot, Mark Forkner, was the only person to face criminal charges for flaws that resulted in two fatal crashes of one of Boeing's most important planes.

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Most airlines had retired their 747 fleets in favor of a new generation of long-haul aircraft, which carry fewer people than the 450-passenger giant, and, with just two engines versus the 747's four, burn less fuel.

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