Whether you love them or hate them, the shrinking MD-80 fleet at American Airlines will soon be just a memory. American Airlines announced this week that the remaining 26 MD-80 aircraft will be retired on September 4th, 2019. A final flight, appropriately named flight 80 will depart from DFW to Chicago O’Hare at 9am.
While the MD-80 fleet is a little long in the tooth with smaller bins and well-worn seats, the aircraft is still beloved by many avgeeks and passengers who appreciate the additional legroom and 2 by 3 seating. The MD-80 was the backbone of American’s domestic fleet for over 30 years. At one time, American had over 300 in their fleet. Most of the remaining aircraft still flying for American today are the result of American’s merger with TWA back in 2001.
A recent check of the availability for American’s final flights show some seats still available. Flight 80 has been sold out though for over a week. When that final flight was loaded, word spread quickly and the flight sold out in the blink of an eye. Some tickets in coach were over $900 for the final flight.
A list of the final flights on September 3rd and 4th is below:
