Today, American Airlines announced a retirement date of September 4, 2019 for its remaining 26 McDonnell Douglas-80 (MD-80) aircraft. The MD-80, also known as the Super 80 or my favorite, “Mad Dog”, has been a workhorse for the airline since the 1980s. I have only had the pleasure of flying on a MD-80 once, between Dallas/Fort Worth and Memphis in First Class. The aircraft was definitely a throwback with the big comfortable seats and engines mounted near the tail.
Below is an excerpt from the official retirement announcement:
“[The MD-80 provided] customers and team members with heartfelt memories on adventures ranging from family vacations to key business trips. It’s a bittersweet but well-earned retirement as American celebrates the aircraft’s history while modernizing its fleet.
Below is the schedule of the final revenue flights on the “Mad Dog” before their desert farewell ferry flights to Roswell, New Mexico. All schedules are subject to change based on operational needs”.
The announcement is bittersweet, but I knew the retirement date would be in the near future. I will try to book at least one more flight aboard the iconic aircraft before they are shipped to the desert for permanent storage.
Have you ever flown on a MD-80?
