43 Years Of Flight: What Are The Youngest Active McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Aircraft Today?

Several examples have spent less than three decades in operation.

October 18th marks a special anniversary for US aviation, as it was on this day 43 years ago, in 1979, that the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series first hit the skies. It entered service just under a year later in the form of a Swissair MD-81, and almost 1,200 were built. But which are the youngest active examples today?

Read more: The afterlife of retired aircraft: what are old planes turned into?

Top of the pile

According to data from ch-aviation.com, 80 active examples of aircraft from the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 family are left in the world today. Simple Flying took a closer look at which airlines operate these remaining rear-engined narrowbody twinjets in an article most recently updated last month.The youngest example currently active is EP-TBF, a passenger-configured MD-88 that flies for Iranian carrier Taban Air. Iran is something of a hotspot for the MD-80 family. Indeed, as Simple Flying explored at the time, the type accounted for an impressive 41% of the country's domestic capacity back in August 2021.

EP-TBF is 25.47 years old, and it seats 172 passengers in a five-abreast, all-economy configuration. According to ch-aviation, it entered service with Onur Air in May 1997, before leaving to join Bukovyna Airlines in April 2011. Just a month later, it transferred to Taban Air, where it has remained ever since. EP-TBF is one of five MD-88s in Taban Air's fleet, but the only active example at the time of writing.

Comparatively young MD-83s

When examining the list of the youngest active McDonnell Douglas MD-83 series aircraft, it quickly becomes apparent that the MD-82 variant is a common feature towards the top of the tree. Indeed, all of the remainder of the top five in this regard are examples of the MD-83, which has more range than the MD81/82 models.

The youngest of these is N962CE, a 26.4-year-old freighter that flies for Everts Air Cargo. This is actually the carrier's youngest aircraft, given that its classic fleet, which consists mostly of vintage freighters, has an average age of 42.3 years old. Not far behind N962CE is another US-based MD-83, namely passenger-carrying N805WA. This World Atlantic Airlines 152-seater is 26.49 years old.

Moving into fourth place, we return to Iran, where ATA Airlines operates a 26.57-year-old MD-83 registered as EP-TAQ. This 165-seater has been with the carrier for over a decade. Rounding out the top five, we have Tez Jet's 26.57-year-old EX-80003. This MD-83 is currently operating on lease for Avia Traffic Company.

Other variants

While the five youngest active McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series aircraft comprise just two variants, the MD-83 and MD-88, it is worth looking at other versions of the twinjet too. For the MD-81, there are just two active examples to choose from, with the youngest of these being Laser Airlines' 30.62-year-old YV480T.

When it comes to the MD-82, Bulgaria, which is something of a European hotspot for the 'Mad Dog' family, houses the youngest active example. Registered as LZ-LDJ, this 27.66-year-old twinjet flies for European Air Charter. Finally, the youngest active example of the short-fuselage MD-87 is Africa Union Aviation's 30.74-year-old P4-AUA. This aircraft features a VIP 24-seat configuration onboard.