Danish Air Transport (DAT) announced the farewell flight of its McDonnell Douglas MD-83, the last aircraft of its type to be operating on the continent.
The airline posted an invitation to embark on the airframe’s last journey before eventual decommissioning, which will take place on October 16, 2021.
According to Planespotters.net data, the aircraft – which now bears the code OY-RUE – started its life in November 1990, when it was delivered to Airtours International Airways. It then changed hands several times, before ending up in DAT’s fleet in 2010. The airline used it as a VIP transport, which included flying Danish sports teams to international championships.
The MD-83 is a long-range version of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80. The family, introduced in the early 80s, was a derivative of the DC-9 mainline jet and competed with Boeing 737 and its equivalents within the range between 3,300 km (1,800 nm) and 5,400 km (2,900 nm) and passenger capacity between 117 and 155 seats.
The production of the MD-80, along with its derivative MD-90, stopped in the late 90s, following McDonnel Douglas’ acquisition by Boeing. The MD-95, the last version of the airliner, was renamed Boeing 717 and produced until 2006.
The OY-RUE is the last MD-83 flying in Europe. Several other jets of the family remain in operation with the continent’s charter airlines – such as MD-82 operated by European Air Charter and MD-87 operated by AMAC Aerospace.