Delta Air Lines retires MD-88s, MD-90s

Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) retired the last of its McDonnell Douglas twinjets – and the last MDs to be operated by an American scheduled carrier – with the farewell flights of a MD-88 and a MD-90-30 on June 2, 2020. The last MD-88 flight was operated under the DL88 number from Washington Dulles to Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson using N900DE (msn 53372). The last MD-90, N925DN (msn 53587), flew earlier on the same day from Houston Intc’l to Atlanta as DL90. The latter aircraft was immediately ferried for storage to Blytheville, while the last active MD-88 remains at Atlanta airport for the time being. It will shortly also be ferried to Blytheville. Both farewell flights were operated as normal scheduled services although with the number of passengers was limited to 50% in first class and 60% in economy due to COVID-related restrictions. Both types will be replaced by A220s. Delta originally planned to retire all MDs by the end of 2020 but this was accelerated due to the drop in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline had operated the MD-88s since 1987 and the -90s since 1995.