+ CHOOSE 1 FREE SEATING PLAN 30x42cm
 
Sabena
Scale 1-200 model
Airbus A310-200
BWA Colors
Registration: OO-SCA (MSN 303) Broken up 2013 at VCV
 
Flat white display stand - White box
Airline Color Scheme - Introduced 1972
BELGIAN WORLD AIRLINES (blue)
 
Aircraft Type: Airbus A310-222
Configuration: CY186
Delivered: Feb 1984
Engines: 2x PW
 
IATA: SN
ICAO: SAB
Callsign: SABENA
Airline Full Name: Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne
Country: Belgium
Airline Founded: 1923
Started Operations: 23 May 1923
Ceased operations: 7 Nov 2001
Base - Main Hub: Brussels National (Zaventem) (BRU / EBBR)
 
Brand:
Colors: Black - Grey - Lightblue - Red - Silver - White - Yellow
Material: Synthetic
Condition: New
Dimensions (cm): Box: 3,4 x 6,9 x 25,2
Weight (g): 124
 
Seat Configuration & Model Specifications
 
° Aircraft Type & Registration: Airbus A310-222 with registration OO-SCA (delivered in February 1984).
° Livery: The legendary Sabena Belgian World Airlines (BWA) blue-and-white scheme introduced in 1972.
° Configuration A310-222 (CY 186): This seating chart displays a two-class configuration (Business/Economy) featuring a total of 186 seats. This is the exact layout used by OO-SCA during its early service years.
° Configuration A310-322 (CY 181): This alternative seating chart displays the interior layout of the longer-range variant (the -300 series) with a total of 181 seats.
 
Historical Information: OO-SCA Active Years with Sabena
 
OO-SCA holds a prominent place in Belgian aviation history as the very first Airbus aircraft ever integrated into Sabena’s fleet. Its introduction marked the beginning of the modern widebody era for the national carrier's short- and medium-haul network.
 
Introduction and Early Operations (1983–1984)
 
° The Factory Phase: Built at the Airbus manufacturing facility in Toulouse, the aircraft completed its maiden test flight in July 1983 under the temporary French factory registration F-WZEI.
° The Official Delivery: On February 23, 1984, the aircraft made its historic first landing at Brussels Airport (Zaventem) and was officially entered into the Belgian civil aviation registry as OO-SCA.
° The Colors: At delivery, it wore the classic BWA livery: a crisp white fuselage, a prominent dark blue cheatline running across the windows, and the iconic blue "S" logo inside a circle on the tail fin.
 
Operational Network
 
As an Airbus A310-222 powered by Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines, OO-SCA was primarily deployed on high-density European routes and medium-haul routes to Central Asia and the Middle East. As Sabena expanded its fleet with the longer-range -300 series, the -200 series also regularly covered flights to African destinations. Its two-class cabin layout filled the capacity gap perfectly between the smaller Boeing 737s and the massive McDonnell Douglas DC-10s.
 
The Major Metamorphosis (1996)
 
In December 1996, OO-SCA underwent a complete visual transformation:
° The classic BWA livery was retired. The aircraft was repainted into Sabena's then-new, minimalist white livery featuring bold, dark blue titles on the fuselage.
° Reflecting Sabena's close partnership with its Swiss counterpart at the time, the fuselage received the text "Flying together with Swissair".
° Adding a unique Belgian touch, the fuselage was temporarily decorated with a large Smurfs cartoon.
 
Phase-Out and Later Career (1997 and beyond)
° Retirement from Sabena: After more than 13 years of loyal service, Sabena officially retired OO-SCA on September 9, 1997. At the time of its retirement, the aircraft had logged an impressive total of 46,776 flight hours.
° Second Career as a Freighter: Instead of being scrapped, the Airbus was converted into a cargo freighter in 1998. It found a second life with the American logistics giant FedEx, where it operated for years under the registration N415FE.
 
The Sister Aircraft: Sabena's Complete A310 Fleet
 
Sabena's Airbus A310 fleet consisted of six aircraft in total: three A310-200 models (tailored for shorter, high-density routes) and three A310-300 models (equipped with additional center wing fuel tanks for long-haul operations).
 
The A310-200 Series (Short/Medium Haul)
° OO-SCB (msn 313): Delivered shortly after the flagship model on March 30, 1984. This aircraft made history in February 1993 as the first Sabena Airbus to be repainted into the modern white livery with large blue lettering. It was briefly leased to Somali Airlines before being phased out alongside OO-SCA in the autumn of 1997.
° OO-SCD (msn 315): The third aircraft in the -200 series. It shared an identical service timeline and was withdrawn from active passenger service in the autumn of 1997.
 
The A310-300 Series (Long Haul)
In 1987, Sabena introduced the longer-range -300 series. These aircraft featured an extended flight range and operated with the 181-seat configuration (the CY 181 layout):
° OO-SCC (msn 437): Delivered in March 1987. It flew for Sabena until 1997 and was subsequently sold to Sudan Airways.
° OO-SCE (msn 478) & OO-SCF (msn 499): These two aircraft finalized the A310 fleet, giving Sabena the ability to fly thinner long-haul routes profitably without needing to deploy the much larger DC-10.
 
Historic Sabena A310 Routes
The Airbus A310 was a versatile workhorse for Sabena. Thanks to its twin-aisle widebody comfort and advanced technology, it successfully linked Brussels to destinations across three continents:
 
[Brussels Airport]
│
├──► EUROPE: London (Heathrow), Paris (CDG), Frankfurt, Geneva, Athens
│
├──► MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA: Tel Aviv, Beirut, Cairo, Lagos, Douala, Entebbe
│
└──► TRANSATLANTIC (-300): Montreal, Boston, New York (Newark)