How Many MD-87 Aircraft Are Still Flying?

The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, derived from the highly successful DC-9, was developed

in the late 1970s as an improved, more fuel-efficient airliner to meet the growing demand for short- to medium-haul routes.

Building on the DC-9’s popular design, the MD-80 series featured a lengthened fuselage, upgraded engines (the Pratt & Whitney JT8D), and advanced avionics. These enhancements allowed for higher passenger capacity, improved performance, and better fuel efficiency.

First flying in 1979, the MD-80 series quickly became a workhorse for airlines around the world, serving both regional and longer domestic routes. Throughout its development, the MD-80 series saw a number of variants, including:

• MD-81
• MD-82
• MD-83
• MD-87
• MD-88
• MD-90

The MD-87 Variant

City Airline MD-87 in 2011

The MD-87, a shorter variant of the MD-80 series, first flew in 1987. It was designed to offer the same technological advancements as its larger counterparts but with a reduced capacity of about 130 passengers, making it ideal for airlines needing a more versatile aircraft for lower-demand routes.

The MD-87 shares much of its design with the MD-80, including the T-tail and rear-mounted engines, but it features a shorter fuselage and slightly improved aerodynamics. Despite its efficiency, the MD-87 was less popular due to its smaller size, leading to relatively fewer orders.

Only 75 MD-87 airliners were built.

As a result, today, the MD-87 is a rare sight, prized by aviation enthusiasts for its scarcity and unique place in the lineage of the DC-9 and MD-80 families.

Which Airlines Flew the MD-87

Photo (c) Aero Icarus

The MD-87 saw service with many airlines around the world. The most notable and largest fleets were with Aeromexico, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, SAS and Spanair.

Later, many smaller airlines flew the MD-87 as they were sold on from the original carriers, and some served as VIP transports and in other uses.

How Many MD-87s Are Still Flying?

At the time of writing there were around 13 MD-87s still flying with operators around the world.

Only two of these are thought to be in passenger service. These are both in Iran, and include EP-TAU (53337/1962), which was recently purchased by Taban Airlines in Iran.

The other is EP-MDV (49829/1678), which has been flying for Iran Airtour since late 2023.

The largest operator of MD-87 aircraft today is Erickson Aero Tanker, which flies 7 of these former passenger airliners in aerial firefighting roles. These can often be seen tackling wildfires across the western United States.

MD-87 VP-CAA. Photo (c) Steve Jerrim

Other operators of the MD-87 include the governments of Eswatini and Tchad.

And a few examples are flying as VIP aircraft, including N111RE and VP-CAA.

Title image: Bmurphy380, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you ever fly on a MD-87? What are your memories of this airliner? Leave a comment below.