MD90
MD-90-30
MD-90-30 is a retired member of the McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family, known for the principal production branch and the clearest expression of the family’s higher-thrust update.
Range 2,455 nm · Entry 1995
McDonnell DouglasAirlinerRetired
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family
The MD-90 story, from first flight to lasting reputation
The re-engined final stretch of the MD narrowbody line, quieter and newer but never as numerous as the MD-80.
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family is a retired airliner built by McDonnell Douglas. It first flew in 1993, entered service in 1995, and went on to shape airline fleets, passenger journeys, and aviation memory.
First flight
1993
Service entry
1995
Seating band
153 to 172
McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family is a retired airliner by McDonnell Douglas, first flown in 1993 and introduced in 1995, with typical seating for 153 to 172 and range up to 2,455 nautical miles.
Its history runs through the airlines that flew it, the routes it opened, the cabin experience it offered, and the variants that changed the family's role over time.
Range band
2,455 nm
Notable operators
Delta · JAL · Saudi Arabian · China Northern
Source stack
- Manufacturer heritage material
- type certificate and planning data
- museum and preservation references
Variants
Representative variants
Specifications
Current public facts
- Manufacturer
- McDonnell Douglas
- Program history
- Class
- Airliner
- Aircraft category
- First flight
- 1993-02-22
- Program history
- Service entry
- 1995-02-01
- Operator records
- Current status
- Retired
- Fleet references
- Typical seating
- 153 to 172
- Operator and cabin references
- Range band
- Up to 2,455 nm
- Program literature
- Cruise speed
- 447 kt
- Planning data
Archive moments
Human context
The MD-90 feels like an alternate-history airplane in memory: familiar Douglas proportions updated just enough to suggest a different future that never fully arrived.
Passenger memory matters here because airport routine, cabin atmosphere, and route geography are part of the aircraft story rather than side notes.
Timeline
Program milestones
- 1993
First flight
The MD-90 begins flight testing and establishes the public shape of the family.
- 1995
Service entry
The family enters passenger or executive service and begins building its operating footprint.
- Today
Archive afterlife
Surviving aircraft, photographs, documents, and first-hand memories keep the program visible long after regular passenger service.
Related news
Editorial context
No editorial dispatches are attached to this family yet. The aircraft record is live, and newsroom or archive coverage can be layered onto it later without changing the URL.
Forum threads
Community memory
Forum referenceMD-90
MD-90 lounge: operators, cabins, routes, and memories
Use this as the standing thread for McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family operator history, route logic, cabin details, and first-hand memory.
Forum referenceMD-90
MD-90 historic operators and preservation
Best memories, route eras, preserved examples, and documentation leads for the McDonnell Douglas MD-90 family.