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American retires 26 MD-80s in one-day 'Super 80 Send-Off'
Ben Mutzabaugh
Managing editor
Ben Mutzabaugh is one of the nation's longest-tenured journalists covering aviation, having started with USA Today's groundbreaking "Today in the Sky" blog in 2002. From the inaugural flight on Virgin America to the final flight on US Airways, Ben has been at the forefront of aviation news in the U.S. for two decades.
Sept. 04, 2019
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2 min read
American retires 26 MD-80s in one-day 'Super 80 Send-Off'
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Don't be surprised if you see #Super80SendOff trending on your avgeek social media feeds today.
American's last MD-80 flight was scheduled to take off at 9 a.m. CT this morning, the last of 26 "Mad Dogs" that will make their final flights for the carrier today.
That officially will close the MD-80 era at American, which famously still refers to its MD-80s with the "Super 80" moniker the jets were once known by. The carrier once had 362 of the jets in its fleet, "representing approximately one-third of all MD-80s ever produced by McDonnell Douglas," according to American.
Celebrations and remembrances were planned across American's network today, with both employees and enthusiasts showing up to see the jet head off into retirement.
Many are nostalgic, though some others said it's time for the aging jet to go.
Stayed tuned to TPG later today for coverage from American's last-ever revenue flight on the MD-80. Here's what we'll have coming during the next 24 hours:
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- TPG Aviation Reporter Zach Wichter is on the final revenue flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Chicago. Read his recap from the final flight.
- TPG Reporter Zach Griff and TPG Community Manager Wallace Cotton are on a media flight to Roswell, the boneyard where many of American's retired MD-80s have ended up. Look for a recap from the scene by Thursday.
- And, in case you missed it, TPG Managing Editor Alberto Riva wrote a fond farewell to the MD-80 while TPG's Senior Points & Miles Writer JT Genter took a contrarian approach by saying he won't miss it.
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