Last of 6 new aircraft ordered by Australian National Airlines Commission for T.A.A.

Construction complete at Douglas Long Beach plant - August 1971

Powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 engines

First flown as VH-TJU at Long Beach - August, 1971

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TJU - October 14, 1971

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission

Accepted by T.A.A. at Long Beach - October 14, 1971

Departed Long Beach on delivery flight to Australia - October 15, 1971

Arrived Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport at conclusion of delivery flight - October 17, 1971

Delivery route: Long Beach-Hilo-Pago Pago-Brisbane-Melbourne

Aircraft was named 'John Roe' during pre-service lay-up

Operated first revenue service Melbourne-Canberra as TN410 - October 26, 1971

Operated last service in old livery - August 2, 1981

Rolled out at Melbourne in new Trans Australia 'camel-hump' livery - August 29, 1981

Delayed being returned to service as a strike resulted in new cabin seating being unavailable

Returned to service - October 31, 1981

Trans Australia Airlines renamed Australian Airlines - August 4, 1986

Registered to Australian Airlines Ltd - July 11, 1988

Operated 'last' revenue service Melbourne-Hobart as TN407 - August 23, 1989

Withdrawn from use and stored Hobart due to nationwide pilot's strike - August 23, 1989

Ferried Hobart-Melbourne - November 2, 1989

Returned to service on Queensland coastal routes - November 2, 1989

It was the only DC-9 to have returned to service during the pilot's dispute

Operated final revenue service Brisbane-Melbourne as TN479 - November 17, 1989

This was the very last DC-9 passenger service operated in Australia

Aircraft had flown 44,729 hours with 48,186 cycles

Trans Australia titles and logo removed from the aircraft - November 20, 1989

Sold to Australian Aircraft Sales (A.A.S.) and A.A.S. logo applied - November 20, 1989

Sold to Airborne Express - November 28, 1989

Departed Melbourne at 08:12 local on delivery flight to U.S.A. as TN1398 - November 28, 1989

Arrived Wilmington at conclusion of delivery flight - November 30, 1989

Delivery route: Melbourne-Nadi-Pago Pago-Hilo-Long Beach

Sold to Wilmington Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware - November 30, 1989

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 1, 1989

Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N942AX - December 1, 1989

Registered to Wilmington Trust Company, Wilmington, Delaware

Leased to ABX Air Inc as registered operator

Converted to freighter configuration to carry small parcels only

Aircraft hushkitted with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7B engines

Certificate of Airworthiness issued by F.A.A. - February 23, 1990

Observed at Portland in service with ABX Air - July 9, 2005

Observed stored at Cincinnati Airport - July 26, 2006

Still registered as N942AX on U.S. Aircraft Register - May 13, 2009

Current status - ?

N742AX. A.A.S. - in basic Trans Australia 'camel hump' livery at Wilmington Airport, February 1991.