Aviation News – The Dutch aviation museum Aviodrome has announced that the iconic DC-3 Dakota, registered as PH-PBA, will no longer take to the skies. The decision follows an extensive technical and operational review confirming that continued flight operations are no longer feasible for the 80-year-old aircraft.
The DC-3, a legendary aircraft type that revolutionized passenger and cargo aviation in the 1930s and 1940s, has been a cherished part of Dutch aviation heritage. Originally serving in wartime and later as a civilian airliner, PH-PBA has been one of the Netherlands’ most recognizable vintage aircraft, maintained and displayed by Aviodrome in Lelystad.
Technically, the aircraft remains largely intact, but age-related metal fatigue and the increasing scarcity of authentic spare parts made safe and sustainable flight operations impossible. The museum’s engineers concluded that the costs and risks of maintaining airworthiness no longer met modern safety standards.