Ups To Inaugurate Passenger Service

Insisting that its passenger planes won’t resemble plain brown wrappers, United Parcel Service said Friday it will go ahead with plans to fly people on weekend charter flights.

UPS said it would modify five 727-100 jets to carry passengers on weekends. The freight carrier has been considering making some of its planes available to charter operators because most of its Boeing 727s aren’t used on weekends.

“Our planes will have windows,” spokesman Ken Shapero said. “They’ll be as nice as any passenger plane you’ve ever been in. But you won’t be able to book a ticket with UPS.”

The earliest the flights can be offered will be Dec. 26, Shapero said. “We won’t do it before Christmas,” he said. “That’s our busiest time of year.”

Passengers will book the flights only through a cruise line or tour operator, Shapero said. UPS will provide pilots, but whether it will supply flight attendants has not been decided.