The success prompted the manufacturer to further develop the aircraft family with the last member, Series 50, as the reference aircraft. The all-new designed aircraft family includes five members or variants (DC-9-10 / DC-9 Series 10, Series 20, Series 30, Series 40, and Series 50) with ten sub-variants or versions (Series 11, Series 12, Series 14, Series 15, Series 21, Series 31, Series 32, Series 33, Series 34, Series 41, and Series 51) and features two rear fuselage-mounted turbofan engines, a T-tail configuration, a narrow-body fuselage with five-abreast seating for 80 to 135 passengers. The DC-9 series, the first generation of the DC-9 family, entered service in late 1965 and became a commercial success with 976 units built when production ended in 1982. Production ended in 1999 after 1,191 MD-80s were delivered, of which 116 aircraft remain in service as of August 2022. Its successor, introduced in 1995, the MD-90, was a further stretch powered by IAE V2500 high-bypass turbofans, while the shorter MD-95, later known as the Boeing 717, was powered by Rolls-Royce BR715 engines. The MD-80 series initially competed with the Boeing 737 Classic and then also with the Airbus A320ceo family. The MD-87 is 17 ft (5.3 m) shorter for 130 passengers in economy and has a range up to 2,900 nmi (5,400 km). The later MD-88 has a modern cockpit with EFIS displays. The larger variants (MD-81/82/83/88) are 148 ft (45.1 m) long to seat 155 passengers in coach and, with varying weights, can cover up to 2,550 nmi (4,720 km). Keeping the fuselage cross-section, longer variants are stretched by 14 ft (4.3 m) from the DC-9-50 and have a 28% larger wing. The first airliner was delivered to launch customer Swissair on September 13, 1980, which introduced it into service on October 10, 1980. The MD-80 made its first flight on October 18, 1979, and was certified on August 25, 1980. Stretched, enlarged wing and powered by higher bypass Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines, the aircraft program was launched in October 1977. The MD-80 was the second generation of the DC-9 family, originally designated as the DC-9-80 (DC-9 Series 80) and later stylized as the DC-9 Super 80 (short Super 80).
It was produced by the developer company until August 1997 and then by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The McDonnell Douglas MD-80 is a series of five-abreast single-aisle airliners developed by McDonnell Douglas.