Aircraft News

Ex-American MD-80 Takes Flight Again

Aircraft was the last MD-80 ever produced.

Ryan Ewing

Tuesday, January 07, 2025 at 04:10 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

American MD-80 aircraft in Roswell, New Mexico [Credit: AirlineGeeks/ William Derrickson]

Key Takeaways:

A former American Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is potentially getting a new lease on life. For the first time since its final flight in 2019, the 25-year-old aircraft took to the skies again.

The MD-83—registered as N984TW—departed from Roswell, New Mexico (KROW), for Saltillo, Mexico (MMIO), on Monday. CAVU Aerospace performed the work to return the jet from long-term storage, a process that took about a month.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan is Sr. Director of Digital for Firecrown's Aviation Group. In 2013, he founded AirlineGeeks.com, a leading trade publication covering the airline industry. Since then, his work has been featured in several publications and news outlets, including CNN, WJLA, CNET, and Business Insider. During his time in the airline industry, he's worked in roles pertaining to airport/airline operations while holding a B.S. in Air Transportation Management from Arizona State University along with an MBA. Previously, he worked for a Part 135 operator and later a major airline. Ryan is also an Adjunct Instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.