Delta to retire it's last DC-9 on Jan. 6, 2014

[fencer 16]

Talk of a workhorse...

 

http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=43&item=2216

 

Do you remember your first flight in a DC-9 ?

 

Mine happened relatively late. Probably in the early 1980s if I remember well (I had flown in a bunch of jet and prop liners in the 60s and 70s - and even in a Connie in 1958 as a baby - but never had a chance to fly the DC-9 before).

 

Bruno

 

 

[jerry allen 3]

That's interesting.  They replace the DC9 with the B717... a modernized DC9-30.  I love it.

 

jetjerry

[fencer 16]

That's interesting.  They replace the DC9 with the B717... a modernized DC9-30.  I love it.

 

jetjerry

 

A VERY modernized DC9-30 indeed. So the DC9 lovers can say the DC9 isn't dead yet !

 

Interesting to note that, at the same time, Southwest are confirming that they will retire their B717s and go back to an all B737 fleet.

 

Bruno

[Airbusman330 300]

I'll be happy when the last MD-80 leave the fleet where I work. 

 

 

 

Southwest are confirming that they will retire their B717s and go back to an all B737 fleet.

 

Makes sense from an operational standpoint, much cheaper and more efficient to operate a single type fleet. 

[fencer 16]

I'll be happy when the last MD-80 leave the fleet where I work. 

 

 

I suppose that's because they require a lot of maintenance ?

 

Bruno

[KJConlon 17]

A VERY modernized DC9-30 indeed. So the DC9 lovers can say the DC9 isn't dead yet !

 

Interesting to note that, at the same time, Southwest are confirming that they will retire their B717s and go back to an all B737 fleet.

 

Bruno

I believe that SWA sold all of AirTran's 717's to Delta last year, was sure what date the 'keys' were to be handed (if it hasn't hey happened) over but I'll guess some where around 1/6/14. I wonder if DAL will be flying with TRS livery until the fleet can be repainted

[Lars Peter 0]

Hello.

My first flights with DC-9-40 Was during my military service in Norway 1978

Together with the C-130 Hercules, we was also transported a lot with he DC-9 between Gardermoen AB and Bardufoss AB.

At that time the SAS aircraft looked like this.

http://simviation.com//hjg/aircraft/douglas/dc-9-40/hjg_sas_dc-9-41_ln-rlc_gunnar_viking_1978.jpg

 

My latest flight with the MD-80 was in 2002, Tromsoe to Oslo.

SAS retired the last MD-80 in october 2013.

A very good Aircraft

 

Lars Peter.

[Aharon 606]

 

 

Southwest are confirming that they will retire their B717s and go back to an all B737 fleet.

 

Bruno

 

Actually,  Southwest sold few 717s to Hawaiian Air and leased about 75 units of 717s to Delta.

 

Aharon

[BIGSKY 316]

My first DC9-32 flight was Air Canada,Toronto to Sault Ste Marie Ontario, 1969

[JRMurray 214]

My first flight in a DC-9 was actually my first flight ever--in June, 1971: CYQM - CYYZ (if my memory serves me correctly--I was 11 years old).

 

I remember that we sat very close to the front, and I remember thinking how steep the take-off was. 

[Airbusman330 300]

I suppose that's because they require a lot of maintenance ?

 

Bruno

 

That's a part of the reason but they are also not really ground crew friendly especially for the lav techs. 

[fencer 16]

I believe that SWA sold all of AirTran's 717's to Delta last year, 

 

You're right . The deal (which btw is a lease, not a sale, as Aharon pointed out) was made last year (2012) and deliveries started in 2013 with Delta's fist B717 commercial flight happening in October 2013.

 

From what I read, in the short time span between october 2013 and the DC-9 retirement in January 2014, Delta will have been the only carrier to operate all major variations of the DC-9 simultaneously : DC-9, MD-88, MD-90, and the Boeing 717.

 

Bruno