Delta Airlines retiring all MD-88 and MD-90 fleets by end of June 2020

On March 18, 2020, “ Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced that as a result of the COVID-19 virus impact on airline operations, they will be accelerating the retirement of the remaining MD-88 and MD90 aircraft, as well as some older Boeing 767s. ”  

McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturing corporation developed MD-80 series of single-aisle airliners from the earlier DC-9. Stretched, heavier, and with higher bypass Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines, the DC-9 Series 80 was launched in October 1977. It made its first flight on October 18, 1979 and was certified on August 25, 1980.

Delta placed its initial order for 30 MD-88s in January 1986, with options for 50 more. Eight of the planes were delivered as model MD-82, the forerunner to the MD-88. Delta had four MD-82s in service with its April 1, 1987 schedule. First cities served from Atlanta: Austin, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Jackson, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Shreveport, and Washington, DC.

MD-88s began arriving at Delta in December 1987. Delta placed its first MD-88 into service on January 5, 1988. The final MD-88 was delivered in December 1993.

The 149-seat MD-88 was previously set to retire by the end of 2020. As of February this year, prior to the coronavirus-driven fleet reduction, there were 47 MD-88s and 29 MD-90s operating.

Both aircraft operated across much of Delta’s domestic network and have been workhorses for the airline.

Delta continues to evaluate its broader fleet plan and will consider additional aircraft retirements to focus on a modern, more simplified fleet going forward.

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Subhash Surve,

Aerostat Aviation

Source: Delta