So I just read that the MD-80s are still flying around, more than 45 years after their first flight. Can you believe it? Those loud Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines, man, they were something else. I remember watching those takeoffs as a kid - felt like a rocket taking off!
It seems like most of them have been retired, especially since Delta and American Airlines sped up the process in the early 2020s. I guess with newer, more fuel-efficient planes coming in, it makes sense, but there's something nostalgic about those MD-80s.
The whole McDonnell Douglas story is pretty wild too. They got sold to Boeing in '97. A big shift in the industry for sure.
Anyone know how many of these are still out there flying? And where are they mostly operating now? It's kinda cool to think there are still some out there doing their thing. Let me know what you think about these old birds sticking around!
It seems like most of them have been retired, especially since Delta and American Airlines sped up the process in the early 2020s. I guess with newer, more fuel-efficient planes coming in, it makes sense, but there's something nostalgic about those MD-80s.
The whole McDonnell Douglas story is pretty wild too. They got sold to Boeing in '97. A big shift in the industry for sure.
Anyone know how many of these are still out there flying? And where are they mostly operating now? It's kinda cool to think there are still some out there doing their thing. Let me know what you think about these old birds sticking around!