Simple Flying looks back at the iconic MD-80 aircraft that first took to the skies over 40 years ago. The distinct aircraft with its turbofan engines fitted in the rear fuselage used to be a common sight, largely delivering passengers from regional airports to hubs for over 30 years. American Airlines notably retired its MD-80s in 2019 and today, only a few are still in passenger service.

First flight over 40 years ago

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 was conceived as a stretched variant of the manufacturer's DC-9 model (pictured below) a tried and tested short-haul aircraft with space for fewer than 140 passengers. The MD-80 offered improvements in avionics, cockpit, and engines. It took its first flight on October 18th 1979, as the DC-9 Super 80. It was certified within the year, receiving approval from the FAA on August 25th 1980.

The MD-80 was built at the manufacturer's production facilities in Long Beach, California. Until the end of its production, just before the turn of the century, McDonnell Douglas had made and delivered 1,191 aircraft. Although McDonnell Douglas itself was not around anymore at that time, as Boeing purchased the company in 1997.

Launch customer - Swissair

The MD-80's first customer was Swissair, the old national airline of Switzerland that filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The carrier launched the program in October 1977 with an order for 15 aircraft and an option for an additional five. It received its first of the jets on September 13th 1980, and entered it into commercial service around a month later. At one point, Swissair had 29 MD-80s in its fleet.

Largest operator - American Airlines

Of course, that is nowhere near the model's largest operator. American Airlines was the first US operator to order the aircraft and flew its first service with the MD-80 from Santa Barbara Municipal Airport to Dallas Fort Worth on May 2nd, 1984.At the height of the airlines MD-80 operations, it had 360 aircraft in the fleet.

Delta Air Lines was also a major operator of the MD-80, and it is credited with being the last US operator to retire the type. American Airlines did so in 2019, but Delta operated its final flights in June 2020, when an MD-88 flew from Washington DC to Delta's hub in Atlanta.

Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines, US Airways, and TWA were also major operators. In Europe, Alitalia, Finnair, Iberia, SAS, and Swissair had the largest fleets.

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MD-80 technical specifications

There are several variants of the MD-80; the -81, -82, -83, -87, and the -88. There is even a -90, depending on how you classify. Up until the shorter fuselage -87, which entered service with Austrian Airlines in 1987, the differences between them were relatively minor. They differ only in engine rating, fuel capacity, and weight. A quick summary of the differences:

• MD-81 - Original production version.
• MD-82 - More powerful engines for 'hot and high' operations.
• MD-83 - Increased fuel capacity for longer-range operations.
• MD-87 - Short fuselage variant.
• MD-88 - Features electronic instead of analog instruments.

The so-called "long-body" versions of the MD-80 all offer a typical passenger capacity of 143 to 155 (with a maximum limit of 172 passengers). The shorter MD-87 (pictured below) offered a lower capacity of between 109 and 130, suiting some regional operations better.

All the models have a two-person cockpit. However, the MD-88 variant has an EFIS cockpit instead of the more traditional analog flight deck of the other models. The final model of the -80 series was also updated with a wind-shear warning system, that came to be offered as a retrofitted option on the older models as well.

All MD-80 variants are powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series turbofan engines. They provide it with a cruising speed of 873 km/h and a maximum of 925 km/h. The MD-80's range increased over the years and the upgrades, with later models offering increased range ability.

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MD-80 experiences

The aircraft can, due to its rear-mounted engines, be extremely quiet if you are lucky enough to travel upfront. Pilots have even joked that they needed to check the instruments to make sure the engines were still on. However, if you are seated in row 20 and further down, it is one of the noisiest experiences in modern commercial aviation.

The plane is affectionately nicknamed "Mad Dog." Hailing from its initials, but also because of its powerful take-off and the fact that it still, unlike most modern planes, requires a pilot's full attention to fly and land.

The MD-80 in service today

As of September 2023, there are at least 25 airlines still operating small fleets of MD-80 aircraft. Many of these are for cargo, or other conversions (such as fire-fighting). The largest remaining operator is Mexican airline Aeronaves TSM, which has 15 MD-80 aircraft in its cargo fleet.

Passenger use now is very limited. Iran is the top choice for this - operating airlines include Zagros Airlines (with the largest fleet of eight MD-80 aircraft), ATA Airlines, Kish Air, Iran Airtour Airlies, and Caspian Airlines.

In other locations, Andes Líneas Aéreas, based in Salta in the north of Argentina, still operates five aircraft. And a few small airlines in Venezuela, and across Africa still have small fleets.

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What are your memories and experiences of the MD-80? Do you miss it? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sources: ch-aviation.com