10/18/1979: McDonnell Douglas MD-80 First Flight

On October 18, 1979, the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 made its first flight, then known as the DC-9 Super 80. Boeing's historical chronology records the flight as the debut of the largest DC-9 model of its time.

Swissair received the first aircraft on September 13, 1980, and introduced it to passenger service the following month, according to Boeing's account of the MD-80's delivery history. The stretched twinjet carried the DC-9 design into a larger-capacity market while retaining its single aisle and rear-mounted engines.

From Super 80 to MD-80

The MD-80 name covered five variants: the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83, MD-87 and MD-88. The distinction between a marketing name and a certified model remained visible in regulatory records. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency's September 2023 product list identifies the first four as DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83) and DC-9-87 (MD-87), while listing the MD-88 under its MD designation.

The aircraft used two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200-series turbofans. The engine maker gives the series a thrust range of 18,500 to 21,700 pounds, depending on the model. A single thrust rating therefore does not describe every MD-80 variant.

Cabin and Variants

Boeing's MD-80 airport-planning manual shows five-abreast economy seating, with two seats on one side of the aisle and three on the other. Its example all-economy layouts accommodate 155 passengers in the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-88, compared with 130 in the shorter MD-87. Those layouts are examples, rather than the maximum capacity: the manual lists limits of 172 and 139 passengers, respectively.

The longer variants measure about 148 feet (45 meters), while the MD-87 is about 130 feet (40 meters) long. That shorter fuselage offered operators a smaller-capacity version without changing to an unrelated aircraft family.

Later Development and Retirement

The DC-9 line continued beyond the MD-80. The MD-90 used International Aero Engines V2500 engines and entered service with Delta Air Lines (DL) on April 2, 1995. The MD-95 later became the Boeing 717-200; Boeing's January 8, 1998 announcement retained that smaller jet in the merged company's product range.

MD-80 production ended in 1999 after 1,191 deliveries across the program. The final aircraft, an MD-83 for Trans World Airlines, was handed over at Long Beach, California, on December 21. It was named Spirit of Long Beach in recognition of the people who built the series.

At American Airlines (AA), the Super 80 became a central part of the fleet. The carrier's retirement announcement in September 2019 records its introduction in May 1983 and a fleet of 362 aircraft by 2003. That scale helps explain why the MD-80 became so familiar to travelers in the United States.

Delta's museum records the retirement of its MD-88 and MD-90 fleets on June 2, 2020, closing another long chapter of passenger service for the family.