The rear-engined Boeing 717 is a quirky twinjet that stands out somewhat compared to the rest of Boeing’s commercial aircraft and their wing-mounted engines. The US manufacturer ended up taking up the program after acquiring McDonnell-Douglas, producing 156 examples. Today, only three carriers fly the Boeing 717.
Delta Air Lines
Data from ch-aviation shows that these three operators presently have a grand total of exactly 100 active examples of the Boeing 717 at their disposal. By far the largest operator is Atlanta-headquartered US legacy carrier and SkyTeam founding member Delta Air Lines, which currently has 71 active units in its fleet, plus another 19 examples that are in storage or maintenance.
These aircraft are 21.9 years old on average (compared to a fleet-wide mean figure of 15.2 years), and, historically speaking, Delta has flown another three examples of the Boeing 717-200. Data from aeroLOPA shows that Delta configures the aircraft with space for 110 passengers. This includes 12 in first class, 20 in extra-legroom economy, and 78 seats in standard economy class.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Delta began taking its Boeing 717-200 aircraft relatively recently, in the grand scheme of things, in 2013. These were coming from Southwest Airlines, which took over the aircraft when it acquired AirTran Airways. However, Southwest only wanted to stick with one fleet type, the Boeing 737, so it found a home for them at Delta.
Unfortunately, the carrier has indicated that the 717s are reaching the end of their usable life span with Delta Air Lines. Indeed, in September 2020, Simple Flying reported that it had set out plans to retire all of the 717s by late 2025.
Hawaiian Airlines
Given its importance to the network, Hawaiian Airlines needed an aircraft that would serve it well on intra-island flights. Turning to Boeing, the carrier opted to take 717s for these services, and it has not looked back. These twinjets have the capacity to seat 128 passengers, comprising eight in first class and 120 in economy.
Photo: Hawaiian Airlines
Data from ch-aviation shows that Hawaiian Airlines presently has 18 active 717s, with a 19th example undergoing maintenance. Clocking in at an average age of 21.8 years old, these aircraft aren’t getting any younger, but Hawaiian Airlines has still yet to select a replacement for the rear-engined twinjets. However, it does have plans to make a decision on this matter by early 2024.
QantasLink
QantasLink uses the Boeing 717 on regional routes across Australia, with two different seating configurations present. Data from aeroLOPA shows that one has 12 business class seats and 98 economy class seats, while the other has 125 economy class seats. 14 of these aircraft serve QantasLink, of which 11 are presently listed as being active, and they are operated by National Jet Systems.
QantasLink’s Boeing 717-200s are 21.9 years old on average, and the Australian flag carrier’s regional brand is preparing to phase them out. Indeed, as Simple Flying reported earlier this year, the type will be replaced by the Airbus A220.
Which Boeing 717 operator is your favorite? Have you ever flown on the type? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Sources: aeroLOPA, Boeing, ch-aviation