American Airlines has set a date for the final 'Mad Dog' MD-80 flights... next week. For those interested in flying one last time on the workhorse of the American fleet read on.

American Airlines
American Airlines MD-80 comes into land. Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas via Wikimedia

Why is AA retiring the MD-80?

American Airlines has been planning to retire the MD-80 for some time. We previously wrote about the airlines history with the aircraft type and why this will be such a heartfelt goodbye.

"The MD-80, also known as the Super 80, was the workhorse of the airline’s fleet throughout the 1980s and beyond, providing customers and team members with heartfelt memories on adventures ranging from family vacations to key business trips." - American Airlines press release

Simply put, it's time for the airline to modernize their fleet and get all the improvements that new aircraft bring to the table. These range from fuel savings (modern aircraft are much more efficient than older types like the MD-80) to passenger comforts (bigger cabins, quiet engines, better humidity etc).

"It’s a bittersweet but well-earned retirement as American celebrates the aircraft’s history while modernizing its fleet."

It is not 100% confirmed yet what aircraft American Airlines will use to replace the MD-80 with, however it is understood that the A321neo will be slowly phased in on similar operations.

American-Airlines-A321neo
American Airlines A321neo. Photo: American Airlines.

What are the final flights?

For those looking to fly one last time, here are the last flights of the type.

Flight Number

Date

Departure

Time

Arrival

Time

1449

Sept. 3

Grand Rapids (GRR)

1425

Dallas (DFW)

1606

2372

Sept. 3

San Antonio (SAT)

1955

Dallas (DFW)

2110

2257

Sept. 3

New Orleans (MSY)

1943

Dallas (DFW)

2122

1010

Sept. 3

Dallas (DFW)

2034

St. Louis (STL)

2218

267

Sept. 3

Dallas (DFW)

2226

Tulsa (TUL)

2329

2454

Sept. 4

Wichita (ICT)

500

Dallas (DFW)

615

2180

Sept. 4

Amarillo (AMA)

500

Dallas (DFW)

618

2232

Sept. 4

Lubbock (LBB)

500

Dallas (DFW)

627

2586

Sept. 4

Pensacola (PNS)

500

Dallas (DFW)

656

2200

Sept. 4

Cleveland (CLE)

540

Dallas (DFW)

732

2891

Sept. 4

Destin–Fort Walton Beach (VPS)

545

Dallas (DFW)

754

2338

Sept. 4

McAllen (MFE)

615

Dallas (DFW)

755

2540

Sept. 4

Omaha (OMA)

600

Dallas (DFW)

758

2605

Sept. 4

Raleigh–Durham (RDU)

600

Dallas (DFW)

758

2326

Sept. 4

Des Moines (DSM)

600

Dallas (DFW)

800

2185

Sept. 4

San Antonio (SAT)

700

Dallas (DFW)

814

2500

Sept. 4

Cincinnati (CVG)

629

Dallas (DFW)

802

1999

Sept. 4

St. Louis (STL)

730

Dallas (DFW)

924

1538

Sept. 4

Destin–Fort Walton Beach (VPS)

719

Dallas (DFW)

934

1038

Sept. 4

Wichita (ICT)

810

Dallas (DFW)

937

2335

Sept. 4

Albuquerque (ABQ)

650

Dallas (DFW)

938

Last Flight - 80

Sept. 4

Dallas (DFW)

900

Chicago (ORD)

1135

Naturally, they might be a little crowded, so our suggestion is to try and book a flight before September 4th and 5th to grab your seat preference.

MD-80
The business and economy cabin of an American Airlines MD-80. Photo: Cory W. via Flickr

You will also notice that each of these aircraft (apart from three) fly to Dallas for retirement, with the last flight landing back in Chicago where it all began a lifetime ago.  They will likely be taken to a scrapyard, sold to other airlines (outside of the US most likely) or retired to the desert.

What do you think about the MD-80 retirement? Will you be flying on the last American Airlines MD-80 flights? Let us know in the comments below!