On 23 August, American Airlines will retire 20 MD-82 and MD-83 aircraft to Roswell, New Mexico, one of the largest single-day aircraft retirements in airline history. American is retiring a total of 45 MD-80 series aircraft this year, leaving 52 in the fleet at the end of 2016. At one point, the American MD-80 fleet numbered 370.
Tracking into Retirement
The aircraft bound for Roswell will be departing from all over the US, including Chicago, Salt Lake City, Tampa, Minneapolis, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, and Dallas-Fort Worth. 17 of the aircraft were originally delivered to American Airlines, while 3 were acquired from TWA. The average age of the aircraft being retired tomorrow is 28 years old.
You can track the aircraft via the registrations listed below, or use a combination callsign (AAL) + airport (in=ROW) filter to follow all the flights.
| Registration | Type | Year Delivered |
|---|---|---|
| N403A | MD-82 | 1986 |
| N436AA | MD-82 | 1987 |
| N477AA | MD-82 | 1988 |
| N479AA | MD-82 | 1988 |
| N481AA | MD-82 | 1988 |
| N482AA | MD-82 | 1988 |
| N485AA | MD-82 | 1989 |
| N486AA | MD-82 | 1989 |
| N493AA | MD-82 | 1989 |
| N499AA | MD-82 | 1989 |
| N564AA | MD-83 | 1987 |
| N565AA | MD-83 | 1987 |
| N569AA | MD-83 | 1987 |
| N570AA | MD-83 | 1987 |
| N571AA | MD-83 | 1987 |
| N70504 | MD-82 | 1989 |
| N7520A | MD-82 | 1990 |
| N9401W | MD-83 | 1993* |
| N9402W | MD-83 | 1993* |
| N9404V | MD-83 | 1993* |
*Originally delivered to TWA.
Upon arrival in Roswell, the aircraft will be processed by two American Airlines employees and then transferred to third-party contractors for storage, lease returns, aircraft sales, and parts. If you’re looking to purchase a used MD-80, now may be good time to visit Roswell, New Mexico.
