And another oldie, Air Inter Mercure F-BTTI in old Air Inter colours on approach to Paris Orly airport on September 6th, 1986. The Dassault Mercure was built for 150 passengers and to operated short-haul. A worldwide fuel crisis made airlines seek more efficient use of more fuel-efficient aircraft and on top of that there were big competitors like the Boeing 737 and McDonnell-Douglas DC9. As a result only 12 Mercure aircraft were built and all but one (the first prototype) were operated by Air Inter. The first Mercure flew on May 28th, 1971.

To my surprise the above photographed Mercure still exists and is used as an instructional airframe at the airport of Bordeaux/Merignac. When I investigated further it seems that more Mercures have escaped the axe so far:

• F-WTCC: Destroyed
• F-BTMD: Destroyed
• F-BTTA: Destroyed
• F-BTTB: on display at the museum Speyer (Germany)
• F-BTTC: Destroyed
• F-BTTD: preserved at the Musée de l' Air at Paris Le Bourget airport
• F-BTTE: In use as a ground instructional airframe with ESMA (Ecole Supérieure des Métiers de l'Aéronautique) at Montpellier/Frejorgues airport in white colours, ESMA titles.
• F-BTTF: Stored at the Conservatoire de l'Air et de l'Espace d'Aquitaine at Bordeaux/Merignac airport
• F-BTTG: fuselage used as an instructional airframe by Lycee Tristan Corbiere at Morlaix Ploujean Airport (wings, tail removed)
• F-BTTH: stored Marseille/Marignane airport (all white)
• F-BTTI: used as an instructional airframe Bordeaux/Merignac (Air Inter colours)
• F-BTTJ: Preserved at Musee Delta, just south of Paris-Orly airport near the town of Paray-Vieille-Poste (Air Inter colours)