IATA M83ICAO MD83

McDonnell Douglas MD-83

McDonnell Douglas

TravelerPulse profile

Stretched, fuel-efficient workhorse of the MD-80 family.

First flight

1984

Category

Narrow-body jet

Seating

~155 passengers (typical single-class)

Range

4,635 km

Engines

Two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 turbofans, rear-mounted

Status

In service

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 is a narrow-body, twin-engine commercial jet airliner and a member of the MD-80 series, itself derived from the Douglas DC-9. It is a stretched and re-engined development offering greater range and payload than earlier MD-80 variants, powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engines with higher thrust and improved fuel efficiency. The MD-83 entered service in 1985 and became one of the most popular variants in the MD-80 family, widely adopted by US carriers and international airlines. It typically seats around 155 passengers in a single-class configuration with a distinctive five-abreast (2+3) seating layout. Although production ended after Boeing's acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, hundreds of MD-83s remained in active commercial service well into the 2020s. The type gained a reputation for reliability and cost-effectiveness on short- to medium-haul routes, though its aging JT8D engines are considerably noisier than modern turbofans.

Notable operators

Major operators have included American Airlines, Alitalia, Iberia, Alaska Airlines, and Aeromexico, among others.

Notable facts

›The MD-83 is the most produced variant of the MD-80 series, with over 1,100 built.
›It features rear-mounted engines and a T-tail configuration inherited from the DC-9.
›Boeing continued limited MD-83 production after acquiring McDonnell Douglas in 1997, with the last deliveries in the early 2000s.
›The JT8D-219 engines produce approximately 21,000 lbf of thrust each, enabling improved hot-and-high performance.
›American Airlines operated one of the largest MD-83 fleets in the world, retiring its last examples in 2019.

Read more on Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Specifications may be inaccurate or vary by variant/operator — verify with the manufacturer before relying on them.

Encyclopaedia

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas. It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9 family, originally designated as the DC-9-80 and later stylized as the DC-9 Super 80 . With a stretched, enlarged wing and powered by higher bypass Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines, the aircraft program was launched in October 1977. The MD-80 made its first flight on October 18, 1979, and was certified on August 25, 1980. The first airliner was delivered to launch customer Swissair on September 13, 1980, which introduced it into service on October 10, 1980.

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