International Relief Organization Welcomes its New Boeing 767 Into Service

Samaritan’s Purse is officially moving its historic Douglas DC-8 cargo jet into retirement on Friday, November 14, to kick off a dedication ceremony for its new Boeing 767. This marks the end of an era for the world’s last flying, US-registered DC-8.

For more than a decade, the four-engine DC-8 served as the backbone of Samaritan’s Purse’s disaster response efforts. The aircraft was acquired in 2015 and has since flown 217 missions, delivering over 9.2 million pounds of critical relief supplies to communities impacted by natural disasters, wars, and humanitarian crises.

The organization’s mission will now continue with the ministry’s newly commissioned Boeing 767: a wide-body cargo jet that offers greater payload capacity, longer range, and improved efficiency.

“God has used this DC-8 cargo plane to impact hundreds of thousands of lives—and He is using it right up to the very end of its service life,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. “As we retire the DC-8, we are grateful to God for the 767 taking its place. It will allow us to transport far more supplies—faster and more effectively—and will continue the work of bringing the hope of the Gospel to people around the world.”

The B767 completed its first mission on October 24, airlifting more than 290,000 packets of supplemental food to Gaza along with blankets, solar lights, and other emergency supplies. Shortly afterward, it was deployed again to Jamaica in response to Hurricane Melissa, which was labeled the most powerful storm ever to hit the island. That operation marked the first time Samaritan’s Purse had transported a full Emergency Field Hospital, including an operating room, ICU, and obstetric ward, on a single flight.

To date, the organization has completed seven airlifts to Jamaica using its DC-8, 757, and 767 aircraft. It also operates shorter-range missions with more than 20 small aircraft and helicopters stationed throughout Africa, Alaska, and other critical regions.

“Aviation is an incredible tool for Samaritan’s Purse,” Graham added. “After a disaster strikes, we want people to know why we are bringing life-saving supplies. We want them to know that God loves them and they’re not forgotten."

FMI: www.samaritanspurse.org