Why Delta Air Lines Favored The McDonnell Douglas MD-90

Delta Air Lines initially placed a large order for the McDonnell Douglas MD-90. However, the merger of McDonnell Douglas with Boeing in 1997 ended the program, with Delta only receiving 16 new examples from the manufacturer. Over a decade later, Delta went on a buying spree to purchase second-hand MD-90s from airlines around the world and to purchase aircraft to be used as spare parts to sustain the now out-of-production fleet.