CV990 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 3149 times:
Hi!
This is almost like a brainstorming about the lovely and unique MD80. When we look some 10/15 years ago we had a wide variety of airlines that used this family, we can even trace that from the DC-9 family. It was a common sight in most european airports to see Alitalia, KLM, Iberia, SAS, Finnair, THY, Swissair DC-9/MD80 family airliners landing and t/off regulary. Lately and now I talk in my home airport LIS we see less and less McDonnell Douglas flying with that unique shape. Major airlines that still use the MD80 are restricted to SAS, Iberia, Alitalia and maybe Finnair, I'm sure that these aircraft will not last forever and my feeling is what type/types will replace this airplane? I look to Iberia and I see that they have already the A319/320/321 family, I see Alitalia and see the same and I see SAS and although is quite a mixture 737-600/800 and A321 so my question is - Is the MD80/90 that good that will irreplacable?
Regards
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 2, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 2984 times:
CV990:
Considering that Alitalia has 89 MD-80's, Iberia 38, Finnair 14, and SAS 66 MD-80/90 I think you will see the MD-80 for some time to come. Don't forget the smaller airlines that fly the aircraft also. The MD-80 is a simple and reliable aircraft and airlines recognize this. As long as it's not cost prohibitive they will continue to operate the MD-80. Besides, it's not like some of these airlines can replace them overnight. Yes, aircraft like the 737NG and A320 will eventually take there place. However I recently saw a company advertising hush-kits for MD-80 that will enable them to comply with Stage 4 noise requirements. This gives me the feeling you will be seeing MD-80's plying the skies of Europe for some time to come.
P.S. Ignore what Solnabo said. He wouldn't know a good airplane if it ran over his foot.
MD80Nut From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 873 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 2875 times:
The MD80 family has been around for over 20 years now, so it's not surprising we are seeing them gradually replaced by newer, more efficent aircraft like the A320 and 737NG families. Still, it's a very reliable and profitable aircraft so I have no doubt they will be around for a while.
cheers, Ralph
>>P.S. Ignore what Solnabo said. He wouldn't know a good airplane if it ran over his foot<<
Has he ever posted something that wasn't a brain-dead Airbus plug?
Navigator From Sweden, joined Jul 2001, 1038 posts, RR: 15 Reply 4, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 2841 times:
SAS has a mix of many types. The most likely to leave soon is actually the A321. If SAS gets a good price management has indicated that it will go. It makes no sense to have MD 80/90, 737NG and A321 in the same fleet. SAS needs fleet commonality now.
The reason MD-80/90 will stay for a while in the SAS fleet is because they are pretty economical to operate still, and they represent a low second hand value. Given SAS financial condition now it would be too costly to try to replace the MD-80/90-fleet anytime soon. And the 737NG fleet is pretty large and new. Given the size of the A321 and the 737NG fleet in SAS, the A321 is the logical type to phase out.
LJ From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 4169 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 2798 times:
I think you should rename the title from The End Of The MD80/90 In Europe, How Soon! into The End Of The MD80/90 In Lisbon, How Soon! as I see plenty of MD80s flying in and out of AMS (okay the majority are SAS and Alitalia but it isn't unusual to see the entire Onur Air MD88 fleet in a day at AMS). Moreover as far as I know Freebird (another Turkish charter airline) still flies with MD83s around Europe and if more majors dispose the MD80 the more you'll see them with charter airlines (Luxorair etc.)
DeltaMD11 From United States of America, joined Dec 2002, 1699 posts, RR: 37 Reply 6, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 2733 times:
Doesn't Meridiana operate MD-82's?
Too often we ... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. - John Fitzgerald Kennedy
LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 2693 times:
Navigator:
SAS looking to dump it's A321's? That's very interesting. When they first ordered the A321 I wondered about adding another type in it's fleet. Maybe if enough airlines pester Boeing about adding an exit aft of the wing on the 737-900 they might actually build it. Then they can put the number of seats in the -900 that it can actually carry.
CV990 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (9 years 3 months 1 week 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 2563 times:
Hi!
It looks to me by your feedback that the MD80/MD90 is still a great airliner and still very reliable and economically still a good option too. I understand and accept that. The issue of SAS is very interesting, specially when we look the surprising order for the A321, any scandinavian friends can tell us about this saga? Must be quite interesting to read!
regards
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