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.
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.
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.
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!