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Seattle-based Alaska Airlines presently operates a diverse fleet of jet and turboprop-powered airliners. This includes models from the likes of Airbus, Boeing, de Havilland, and Embraer. However, did you know that the carrier also previously operated aircraft from McDonnell Douglas’s rear-engined MD-80 series? Let’s take a closer look at the history of these planes, and where they ended up once their time at Alaska Airlines ended.
The MD-83 was Alaska Airlines’ most numerous variant of the MD-80 family. Photo: Getty Images
A brief history of the MD-80 at Alaska Airlines
The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series was a development of its existing rear-engined DC-9. It entered service in October 1980, when Swissair first flew the original MD-81 variant. McDonnell Douglas produced nearly 1,200 MD-80 series aircraft between 1979 and 1999, and the type still sees limited service today. But how does it fit into Alaska Airlines‘ story?