Tag Archives: McDonnell Douglas MD-81

Austral’s McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 LV-WFN is being preserved in Argentina

Austral Líneas Aéreas‘ (Buenos Aires) DC-9-81 (MD-81) LV-WFN (msn 48025) was retired from service on February 2, 2012 and flown to Córdoba International Airport-Pajas Blancas on March 16, 2012 for preservation. It was one of the oldest (if not the oldest) DC-9-81 in service.

LV-WFN performed its final flight between Córdoba to Morón Air Force Base in Buenos Aires (MOR) on February 26. The aircraft was donated by Austral Líneas Aéreas to Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica, as it was the first of the DC-9 Super 80 airliner to enter service with Austral in 1981. This plane was retired from service on March 2012 and was preserved waiting for a decision about its fate. Lately the aircraft was being readied before being ferried to Morón as AU 2080, unpressurized and with landing gear deployed.

Copyright Photo: Alvaro Romero. LV-WFN looks forlorn at Córdoba while waiting for its final fate. Now it will be preserved.

Austral:

JAL to retire the last McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (MD-81) at the end of September

JAL-Japan Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (MD-81) JA8553 (msn 53298) FUK (John Adlard) (last DC-9-81 to be retired in September), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) will be retiring the last McDonnell Douglas DC-9-81 (MD-81) (all ex-JAS) at the end of September. As a way of saying goodbye to the classic, JAL will conduct a “MD-81 Farewell Tour” on September 19-20. On the first day, the aircraft (registration is undecided at this time) will depart from Osaka (KIX) at 8:45 a.m. (0845), arriving at Oki (OKI) at 9:45 a.m. (0945). At Oki passengers will be able to walk around the tarmac to take photos of the aircraft. At 3 p.m. (1500), the airliner will leave Oki for Sapporo (CTS), arriving at 5 p.m. (1700). On the second day, the aircraft will leave CTS
at 7:45 a.m. (0745), arriving at OKI at 9:45 a.m. (0945). Passengers on the special flight will again be able to take photos, plus the aircraft will perform touch-and-go’s on this day. At 4:30 p.m. (1630) the airliner will leave OKI for KIX, arriving at 5:35 p.m. (1745). Tickets are being sold by JALTours.

In other retirement news, JAL quietly phased out its last three Boeing 767-200s. JA8231 was withdrawn from service in December 2009 and both JA8232 and JA8233 were withdrawn from scheduled service in March 2010 and became back-up equipment. JA8233 left the fleet on June 4, 2010 followed by JA8232 on June 11, 2010.