Retirement

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 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and MD-90 have officially exited Delta’s fleet after flying their last scheduled flights on Tuesday after being part of the active fleet and a steady workhorse for Delta for 33 years and 25 years respectively. The MD-88 and MD-90 will be replaced with newer, more efficient aircraft such as the Airbus […]

Air France has announced it will immediately retire its Airbus A380 fleet following the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The airline was due to retire nine A380s from its fleet by 2022, however, the French flag carrier has brought this date forward. In a statement, the airline said: “In the context of the current COVID-19 […]

As airlines continue to struggle through the virtually nonexistent travel associated with the coronavirus pandemic, they are looking for as many places as possible to cut down on costs in an effort to save money. Many airlines have grounded large portions of their fleets, including inefficient jumbo jets that they would be unable to fill […]

The global COVID-19 crisis has impacted aviation profoundly as airlines quickly adapt to crippling demand for air travel and a new reality of border restrictions, grounded jets and seeing sub 20 percent flight load factors. Over 85 airlines across the globe have announced a temporary halt in flight operations and almost all carriers are working […]

Continuing its gradual retirement of the type, Qantas parted ways with another Boeing 747-400 on Tuesday. The airline’s latest Boeing 747 to be sent to the United States was VH-OJU named Lord Howe Island, a near-20-year-old Qantas veteran and one of its longest-serving global ambassadors at the time of its exit. Departing from Sydney just […]

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 their long days in the […]

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 out from the rest.  At […]

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 second largest operator of the […]

The days of the iconic Boeing 747 have become numbered as numerous airlines prepare to phase them out in favor of newer and more efficient wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X. AirlineGeeks recently obtained data from a source close to British Airways, with details of the airline’s retirement plans for 13 […]