The retirement of American Airlines' MD-80 marks the end of an era for a plane whose old-school design and noisy rear engines spawned love-hate relationships over the four decades it flew.

American plans to retire 45 MD-80s this year, most of them in the third quarter, and be rid of all of them by the end of 2017 as part of a fleet renewal project. Economically, the MD-80 is no ...

At its 2002 peak, 362 of the MD-80 aircraft made up 44% of the carrier’s fleet. “If American kept the Super 80 until I’m 65, I’d be flying it,” Gomez said.

The eventual retirement of the MD-80 – long the backbone of American’s domestic fleet – will end an era for American. The carrier once had more than 370 “Super 80s,” as the airline ...

Still, the originally unwanted, and mostly unloved MD-80 arguably saved two companies – American and McDonnell Douglas, though the aircraft maker eventually was bought by rival Boeing in 1997.

The MD-80’s final American Airlines revenue flight, AA80, was scheduled to depart from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at 9 a.m. and arrive at Chicago O’Hare around 11:30 a.m.

The MD-80, which entered service in 1980, became one of the most successful of the Douglas commercial jet programs. The last of 1,191 MD-80s was delivered to TWA in December 1999.

At that price, the MD-80 would burn $4,609 worth of fuel every hour, 29 percent more than the $3,561.50 used by the Boeing 737-800. And the Boeing 737-800 carries 157 passengers to the MD-80's 140.