The coronavirus has been particularly hard on geriatric Americans, and airplanes are no exception. With the precipitous drop in airline operations the world over, carriers are accelerating the retirement of older, less efficient aircraft. And today will be the last time Delta flies the 88s and 90s.
Delta has assigned special numbers for today’s flights. According to Simple Flying,
DL 88 is expected to be operated by N900DE, a 28-year-old MD-88 that was delivered to Delta Air Lines as new in March 1992. The flight is scheduled to depart from Washington (IAD) at 08:15. Following a short trip, it will land in Atlanta (ATL) at 10:00.
DL 90 is scheduled to be operated by N925DN. This MD-90 is slightly younger, at 21 years old. It was delivered to China Eastern Airlines in 1998 before transferring to Delta just under ten years ago in July 2010. DL 90 will depart from Houston (IAH) at 06:00. It is then scheduled to arrive in Atlantia at 08:58.
Having sat in the back row of these types, in a seat with no window and right next to the engine, I won’t miss them too much, though sitting up front, far away from the engines, is a different story. Either way, the retirement of these older aircraft, while good for business, will make the skies just a little bit less interesting.