END OF AN ERA - AMERICAN MD-80

Aeroclassics 1/400 Ozark DC-9. End of an ErAA: THE MAD DOG SUPER 80 BOWS OUT AT AMERICAN

Article and Photos by Richard Stretton

AA MD-82 N473AA Dragon Wings 1:400 Scale early colors.

From the time that deregulation of the US civil aviation market began, in 1978, until at least the turn of the century American Airlines stood as probably the best run and most successful of the ten legacy trunk airlines that pushed, or were pushed, into the new age. Partly this was due to superb leadership, but an important factor for American was also its choice of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 (or Super 80 as it preferred to call it) as its primary equipment on short-medium routes.

No aircraft, since the DC-3, has so personified American, and its importance in the carrier’s history is matched by few other aircraft/airline combinations. 2019 marked the end of the type’s career with the airline and almost the end of the MD-80 in civil service in the USA, with only Delta still using the type in any numbers. It may be seen as a gas guzzler today but as McDonnell Douglas’ last great civil success its place in the history of aviation in the US is assured.

It wasn’t always the case that the DC-9 Super 80’s place in history would be so positively looked upon. As the name suggests the aircraft was McDonnell Douglas’ attempt to stretch its successful DC-9 series into the 1980s, as a viable replacement for older 727-100s and 200s. Unfortunately for McDonnell Douglas the optimistic and lucrative mid-70s would turn into hard times for the airlines at the end of the decade. Hit by both the impact of deregulation (high competition and low fares), a worsening global economy and the 1981 PATCO strike most airlines were bleeding red ink and not in the market for new aircraft.

The story was somewhat different at American Airlines. It was run by a competent management team, under Bob Crandall, that had a clear idea of how to survive the new cutthroat era. This was an even more pressing concern for them since they shared the Dallas Fort Worth hub with the ailing Braniff International. American had a sizeable fleet of elderly Boeing 727-23s that were delivered in the period from 1964-mid-1968. Although some of these would be replaced by the MD-80s a more pressing concern for American was to add frequency to its new mega-hub and for that extra aircraft were needed not just replacements.

American had been acquiring new 727-200 Advanceds from Boeing since the end of 1980, many of which were originally built for Braniff as series 227s, but the 727 was showing its age and the MD-80 offered an improvement in operating costs. Even so American wasn’t about to do McDonnell Douglas a favour. MDD had failed to sell a single MD-80 in the entirety of 1982 and was desperate for American’s business. American wasn’t especially interested since Crandall wanted to first strike a deal for big labour cost savings with the unions

before he started expanding service by adding new frames. When MDD went to American, cap in hand, the result was an incredible deal that allowed AA to lease 20 MD-80s for 5 years at a major discount, and if they wanted to cancel the lease at any time the penalties were about a single month’s lease costs. If after 5 years they wanted to walk away they could do so at no penalty at all. It was an offer that was way too good to turn down for the aggressive Crandall.

American began to take delivery of its first Super 80s (really McDonnell Douglas MD-82s) in May 1983 (by which time the first Braniff was dead); but until Crandall got his two tier labour pay scale agreement he strictly added new aircraft by replacing an old one 1:1. Once he had the agreement the remaining 727-23s stayed on and the new MD-82 fleet began to grow rapidly. It grew much larger than the original 20 aircraft lease as it was reinforced in 1984 by a huge order for 167 (67 firm and 100 options) aircraft.

Pictured Gemini Jets 1:400 Scale AA MD-82 N573AA.

RIght fuselage view of Gemini Jets 1:400 Scale AA MD-82 N573AA.

Left fuselage view of Gemini Jets 1:400 Scale AA MD-82 N573AA.

American didn’t look back. It created a powerful frequent flyer programme and pioneered flight revenue management systems. All the time it was adding flights to its major hubs at Dallas Fort Worth and Chicago O’Hare, thousands of which utilized the McDonnell Douglas product. American found their faith in the Super 80 more than returned. It was strong and reliable. It may have been harder to board and deboard than competing 737s, due to its length, but it offered a 3+2 across seating configuration that meant passengers had a greater chance of a window or aisle.

American Airlines would take delivery of 260 of its own MD80s (a mix of 227 MD-82s and 33 MD-83s) and added more during 1999, when it took over Reno Air adding 19 extras, and 2001, when it took over TWA. Trans World Airlines was still taking delivery of new MD-80s until the end of 1999 despite the type having been superseded in McDonnell Douglas’ lineup by the MD-90-30, and McDonnell Douglas having been taken over entirely by Boeing. The MD-80s couldn’t compete with the 737 Next Generation family, or Airbus A320s, but offered fleet commonality and were cheap. TWA had 83 units many of which were nearly new. The additions sent the combined American Super 80 fleet to its pinnacle of 362 aircraft.

Since then it has been rather downhill for the MD-80s. They have continued to do their best but increasingly have suffered from negative comparisons with newer types, not helped by American failing to invest in cabin upgrades for them. The result has been that in recent years it is mainly the aviation enthusiast that has come to mourn the gradual retirement of the type from the American Airlines fleet. On August 23, 2016 the airline made headlines by retiring 20 MD-80s in the same day resulting in celebratory articles from frequent flyers.

None of the MD-80s have received the most recent American Airlines colours due to their impending retirement. By the end of 2018 American only had 2 MD-82s and 32 MD-83s left. Only the pair of MD-82s were actually from the American Airlines original order and as of August 2019 only one MD-82, N501AA, was left. She was delivered in October 1989. The remaining 27 MD-83s all date from 1997 and beyond. Ironically the MD-80s have outlasted some of the much newer 737-800s that were purchased partly to replace them.

Finally, on June 25, 2019 American announced the date of the retirement of the last MD-80. On September 4, AA operated 17 Super 80 flights with 16 arriving at DFW. The final flight did not arrive at DFW but instead departed from it, connecting American’s two biggest hubs of Dallas and Chicago, that the Super 80 did so much to grow. Fittingly the flight carried the number 80. It brought to and end an era not only for American but for the history of aviation in the USA itself.

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