It is undeniable that a commercial aircraft type will retire and when it does, there has to bee some aircraft to step in to take its place. Even before the sun had set and the party had died down on Wednesday, the gradual retirement of the Super 80 had taken its effect on American Airlines' route network and airports that the aircraft once served have been greeting new aircraft at their gates for quite some time now. But while the…
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation and Mesa Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding for the Mitsubishi SpaceJet M100 that could see the American regional service operator taking 50 firm orders with options for an additional 50 aircraft. If negotiations are completed, deliveries will begin on 2024. Announcing the deal at the Annual…
Uzbekistan Airways is looking to sell off some of its Boeing and Ilyushin aircraft. The sale comes as the carrier looks to revamp its fleet with newer Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, of which the carrier already has four. Of its Boeing fleet, which has an age range of 15 to…
Virgin Atlantic has its latest destination and first entry into the South American market with a new route to São Paulo from London. The British carrier will connect the two economic hubs via London Heathrow Airport and São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport beginning March 29, 2020. The first South American destination…
It comes as no surprise to many that American Airlines has opted to retire its MD-80 fleet. As the 'Mad Dogs' climbed higher in age and were no longer fuel-efficient compared to newer entrants, it was only a matter of time before the decision was made for the aircraft to…
Since TAM became LATAM after the merger with LAN at the start of 2016, many changes in the airline's service have occurred. The airline that, pushed a "premium" service from the beginning, needed to adapt to the reality of the market to assure its survival. Thus, the carrier adopted low-cost…
Since TAM became LATAM after the merger with LAN at the start of 2016, many changes in the airline's service have occurred. The airline that, pushed a "premium" service from the beginning, needed to adapt to the reality of the market to assure its survival. Thus, the carrier adopted low-cost…
French carrier Aigle Azur has filed for bankruptcy following some turbulent months of financial difficulties and problems at the corporate level. The airline will continue flying under a period of observation, which the airline says shouldn’t affect its short term operations. Problems at the Paris-based carrier's boardroom arose after its…
American Airlines officially laid the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 to rest on Wednesday after 36 years of service with the airline. Today, 26 Super 80s, as the airline marketed them as, still in American Airlines' polished aluminum liveries, embarked on their final flight to Roswell, New Mexico where they will enjoy…
Call me dramatic, perhaps a bit over-emotional, or nostalgic, but I am indeed in love with American’s long-time workhorse MD-80 fleet. While other airlines, including Delta, will continue to operate the type after American retires theirs on Wednesday, Sept. 4, there are many things that make AA’s ‘Super 80s’ stand…
