D-ABOJ – Condor Boeing 757-300: The Sunshine 757

For more than 25 years, Boeing 757-300 D-ABOJ was part of the story of German holiday aviation.

Delivered in 2000, the aircraft spent almost its entire flying life connected to Condor. Over the years, it appeared in several different liveries, carried generations of holidaymakers to destinations across Europe and beyond, and eventually became one of the most recognizable aircraft in the Condor fleet.

In its final years, D-ABOJ received the airline's spectacular yellow-and-white striped “Sunshine” livery.

After its final flight in 2025, the aircraft was retired and dismantled. Part of its genuine fuselage skin was preserved by Aircrafttag, allowing the story of Condor's Sunshine 757 to continue.

The Story of D-ABOJ Begins

D-ABOJ was built as a Boeing 757-300 with manufacturer serial number MSN 29019.

The aircraft was delivered to Condor in March 2000.

At the time, the Boeing 757-300 was one of the newest members of the Boeing 757 family. Its stretched fuselage offered significantly more capacity than the original 757-200 while retaining the distinctive narrow-body design and performance characteristics that had made the 757 successful.

For a leisure airline such as Condor, the aircraft was particularly well suited to carrying large numbers of holidaymakers from Germany to popular destinations around the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and beyond.

D-ABOJ would go on to perform that role for more than two decades.

A Boeing 757 Built for Holiday Travel

The Boeing 757-300 is an unusual aircraft.

At more than 54 metres long, it is the longest version of the Boeing 757 and one of the longest single-aisle passenger aircraft ever produced.

Only a relatively small number were built, making the type far less common than the 757-200.

For Condor, however, the stretched 757 became an important part of the fleet.

Its combination of capacity and range made it a familiar sight at German airports and at holiday destinations throughout Europe.

D-ABOJ became part of that world in 2000.

More Than One Condor Era

During its long career, D-ABOJ witnessed major changes in both Condor and its visual identity.

The aircraft appeared in different liveries as the airline's relationship with Thomas Cook evolved. For a period, it operated in Thomas Cook colours while continuing to carry the D-ABOJ registration.

The aircraft also spent a short period operating for Ryan International Airlines before returning to Condor.

But Germany and Condor remained the central thread throughout its life.

Over the following years, D-ABOJ continued carrying holidaymakers to destinations associated with the German leisure market.

And its appearance continued to evolve.

Peanuts, Winglets and Changing Colours

D-ABOJ was not always just another aircraft in the fleet.

In 2006, it carried special markings celebrating Condor's 50th anniversary.

At the end of 2009, the aircraft was fitted with blended winglets, giving the already distinctive 757-300 an updated appearance.

Another unusual chapter followed in 2010 when D-ABOJ appeared with Peanuts characters on its fuselage.

Throughout its career, changing titles, logos and special markings reflected different periods in Condor's history.

But its most striking transformation was still to come.

The Condor Stripes

In 2022, Condor introduced one of the most distinctive airline liveries in Europe.

Instead of a conventional predominantly white fuselage, the airline's aircraft began appearing in bold vertical stripes inspired by holidays, beach towels and parasols.

Different aircraft received different colours, creating an instantly recognizable fleet.

The colours were given their own identities, including Sunshine, Passion, Sea, Island and Beach.

D-ABOJ was selected for Sunshine.

Becoming the Sunshine 757

In December 2022, D-ABOJ was flown to Norwich for repainting.

On 28 December, it emerged in Condor's new yellow-and-white striped livery.

After more than two decades of flying, the Boeing 757 had been completely transformed.

The long fuselage of the 757-300 made the striped design particularly striking. Alternating yellow and white bands stretched along an aircraft more than 54 metres long, turning D-ABOJ into one of the most recognizable Boeing 757s in Europe.

For the final years of its flying life, the aircraft carried the Sunshine identity.

It was a fitting appearance for an aircraft that had spent decades taking passengers on holiday.

The Final Years of Condor's Boeing 757

By this point, the Boeing 757 was approaching the end of its long career with Condor.

New-generation aircraft were gradually replacing older types, and Condor's 757 fleet was becoming an increasingly rare sight.

D-ABOJ nevertheless continued flying.

More than 25 years after entering service, the aircraft was still carrying passengers for the airline it had originally joined in 2000.

But in 2025, its flying career finally came to an end.

The Final Flight of D-ABOJ

On 30 September 2025, D-ABOJ operated its final commercial service for Condor.

The flight took the aircraft from Hurghada in Egypt to Düsseldorf.

It was the end of more than 25 years of passenger operations.

The following day, D-ABOJ left Düsseldorf for the final time.

Its destination was St Athan in Wales, a location well known for aircraft storage, dismantling and recycling.

There would be no return to passenger service.

In February 2026, D-ABOJ was dismantled.

A Boeing 757 that had spent more than a quarter of a century carrying passengers had reached the physical end of its flying life.

But part of the Sunshine 757 survived.

From Boeing 757 to Aircrafttag

Before the history of D-ABOJ disappeared completely, sections of its genuine aircraft fuselage skin were preserved.

The original aluminium that once formed the exterior of the Boeing 757 has now been transformed by Aircrafttag into collectible pieces of aviation history.

Some pieces retain the distinctive colours of Condor's Sunshine livery.

The surface can show traces of more than two decades of airline operations: variations in paint, scratches, marks and other signs of the aircraft's long working life.

These are not artificially created imperfections.

They are part of D-ABOJ's history.

Each Aircrafttag originates from the real aircraft and preserves a physical connection to Condor Boeing 757-300 D-ABOJ.

25 Years of Holiday Aviation

D-ABOJ's story stretches from the beginning of the new millennium to the final years of the Boeing 757 at Condor.

It witnessed changing airline identities, Thomas Cook colours, anniversary markings, Peanuts characters and the addition of blended winglets.

Then, more than two decades after its delivery, it received perhaps its most memorable appearance of all.

The Sunshine stripes.

For its final years, D-ABOJ became a flying symbol of Condor's new visual identity while still representing an aircraft generation that was rapidly disappearing from European skies.

From its delivery in 2000 to its final passenger flight in 2025, D-ABOJ spent more than a quarter of a century connected to holiday travel.

Today, the aircraft itself is gone.

But part of its unmistakable striped fuselage remains.

Preserved by Aircrafttag, the genuine aircraft skin of Condor Boeing 757-300 D-ABOJ allows the story of the Sunshine 757 to continue beyond its final flight.