With the retirement of Delta’s McDonnell-Douglas MD-88s, the chapter for the MD-80 series in North America and the world closes for major airlines. However, it is more than just the metal fuselage that will see service decrease as the engine that once powered numerous aircraft types is falling silently into the history books. Coming off the militarily successful J-52, the JT8D was Pratt & Whitney’s response to the increasing demand for the smaller sizes requested for commercial jets. The Boeing…
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…
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…
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…
September 4 is going to be a date many of us will remember. That day American Airlines will retire its remaining 26 McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft, ending a 37-year-long flying career. Unveiled by McDonnell Douglas in 1977 as an evolution of the DC-9-50, the MD-80 was nicknamed "Mad Dog" while…
Hundreds of passengers were left stranded throughout Southeast Asia last week as Taiwan's Far East Air Transport abruptly canceled a significant number of flights. Flights to countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Japan and South Korea were primarily affected as the airline insisted the cancellations were enacted in order…
American Airlines was forced to ground its fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on March 13, 2019, in an effort to comply with an FAA order that came in the wake of the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 and Lion Air flight 605. The airline is the…
As part of its efforts to fully retire its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80s by 2019, American Airlines has sent 8 of its Super 80s, as the airline refers to them, to Roswell International Air Center today where they will be stored indefinitely. The aircraft all flew from Dallas, where…
Once a mainstay at the country’s major airports, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is one of the most recognizable aircraft in the world. Flying for the likes of Trans World Airlines, Delta Air Lines and, most notably, American Airlines, the aircraft is best described as a workhorse, performing the short-medium haul…
Last year AirlineGeeks published a story detailing the findings of an FAA investigation into Allegiant Airlines. The investigation into the airline found no major issues or flaws which resulted in Allegiant not being fined. The audit of the airline was prompted after 42 of Allegiant’s 86 aircraft broke down in mid-air at…
