Affectionately known as the 'Mad Dog,' McDonnell Douglas' famous MD-80 family of narrowbody aircraft enjoyed a 20-year production run that saw almost 1,200 of the rear-engined twinjets roll off the factory line. The series is becoming increasingly old and rare but, within Europe, Bulgaria is quite the hotspot for these five-abreast jets.

All one variant

According to data from ch-aviation.com, there are just 13 examples of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 family still registered at European airlines. Two stored examples belong to Ukraine's Bravo Airways, while the remaining 11 reside in Bulgaria. It is worth noting that all of these are examples of the MD-82 variant.

This particular version of the rear-engined twinjet was known for its enhanced capabilities in 'hot and high' conditions, as it featured more powerful engines than the original MD-81. A useful side effect of this was that, when operating at airports at standard altitudes, its range and payload were both higher than the MD-81.

The MD-82 first flew on January 8th, 1981, and received FAA certification just under seven months later. It entered service with Republic Airlines in August 1981, and deliveries of the type continued for another 16 years. When all was said and done, the MD-82 was comfortably the most popular variant, with 539 aircraft delivered.

ALK Airlines MD-82
ALK Airlines is the smaller of Bulgaria's two MD-82 operators. Photo: Bene Riobó via Wikimedia Commons

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European Air Charter

Of the 11 MD-82s that remain registered with Bulgarian carriers, the vast majority fly for European Air Charter. This Sofia-headquartered operator, which came into existence as Bulgarian Air Charter in 2000 before rebranding last year, presently has nine MD-82s in its fleet. Of these, two are inactive, with one (LZ-LDK) being in storage, and the other (LZ-LDP) presently undergoing maintenance work.

European Air Charter's MD-82s are its oldest aircraft, with an average age of 30.5 years. They operate alongside a nine-strong fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircraft, which are 27.8 years old on average. Each of the carrier's 'Mad Dogs' can accommodate 164 passengers, with an all-economy configuration.

Historically speaking, European Air Charter has operated a further 11 MD-82s, as well as six examples of the longer-range MD-83. Its oldest remaining example is LZ-LDK, although this 35.11-year-old stored example hasn't flown since before the pandemic. In terms of active aircraft, LZ-LDW is the oldest, at 32.81 years old.

Bulgarian Air Charter MD-82
The carrier was known as Bulgarian Air Charter until May last year. Photo: Jake Hardiman | Simple Flying

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ALK Airlines

The operator of Bulgaria's other pair of MD-82s is another charter specialist, namely ALK Airlines. Its two 'Mad Dogs' are 32.4 years old on average, making them slightly older than the carrier's other two aircraft (A pair of Boeing 737-300s clocking in at 30.1 years old on average). Interestingly, they have two different layouts.

Specifically, 33.15-year-old LZ-DEO is the denser of the pair, seeing 172 passengers with a knee-crunching standard seat pitch of just 28 inches. Meanwhile, 31.62-year-old LZ-ADV offers a slightly more comfortable experience, with its 160 seats offering 30 inches. Both aircraft joined ALK Airlines in 2016.

What do you make of Bulgaria as an MD-82 hotspot? Have you ever flown with either of the carriers mentioned? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!