MSP was the last US hub where the DC-9 made economic sense
Delta Air Lines retired its last scheduled McDonnell Douglas DC-9 flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Atlanta in January 2014, ending nearly five decades of US scheduled service for the type.
Delta Air Lines flew its last scheduled McDonnell Douglas DC-9 passenger service on January 6, 2014, from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The retirement ended almost 50 years of scheduled US service for the narrowbody.
The DC-9's long run was tied most closely to one airline and one hub. Minneapolis-St. Paul was the last US hub where the combination of airline, airport and short-haul network still supported DC-9 economics, and it was there that the aircraft stayed viable after other operators had retired it.
When Delta ended the MSP-Atlanta flight, that final set of conditions disappeared. The airline had run out of reasons to keep the DC-9 flying, rather than simply reaching the end of a fleet era.
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Sources
- simpleflying.comHow Minneapolis-St. Paul Became The Last US Hub Where The DC-9 Still Made Economic Sense