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McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines

McDonnell Douglas MD-88 illustration in Delta Air Lines livery Illustrative image; it may differ from the actual aircraft.

McDonnell Douglas MD-88

MD80-53266Active
RegistrationUSN966CE
OperatorDelta Air Lines
2operators
0incidents
0accidents
15logbook years
0photos

McDonnell Douglas MD-88 in Long Beach. Operates for Delta Air Lines. Previously flew for Everts Air Cargo.

Vuelopedia is a work in progress: it currently holds about 30% of the information we expect to have by the third quarter of 2027. Although we use only official, highly reliable sources, some aircraft data and history may still contain errors or inaccuracies. We work hard to clear every anomaly from the records using specialized verification tools.

Recent flights

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Technical data

ManufacturerMcDonnell Douglas
Engines2×
PropulsionJet
Built inLong Beach, California (EE. UU.)
Country of registrationEstados Unidos
OwnerDelta Air Lines
MSN53266
Hex / ICAO 24-bitADA56A
VerificationPending check against the official civil register

The model · McDonnell Douglas MD-80

Figures for the MD-82 variant, the most representative of the family

Length45.1 m148 ft
Wingspan32.9 m108 ft
Height9.2 m30 ft
Range3,797 km2,050 NMWith a typical passenger load
Cruise speed807 km/h436 ktMach 0.76
Service ceiling11,280 m37,008 ftIt flies above Everest (1.3 times its height)
Maximum take-off weight67,812 kg149,500 lb
Maximum payload32,443 kg71,524 lbIts 155 passengers with baggage would weigh about 15.5 t; the rest is fuel and cargo
Typical capacity155 passengersUp to 172 in a high-density layout
Endurance4 h 42 minAt cruise speed, non-stop

With its 3,797 km range, from Atlanta it could fly non-stop as far as:

SEASeattle3,505 kmBOGBogota3,389 kmLAXLos Angeles3,126 kmPTYTocumen2,780 kmMEXMexico City2,143 km
Beyond its rangeLIMLima5,136 km

The type first flew in 1979 (47 years ago) · About 1,191 units built · Production ended in 1999

Figures for the type, not for this particular aircraft: each variant and each configuration changes something. They are shown in both systems used in aviation.

The full story of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Compare this aircraft

Airports

Where this aircraft has operated, by period · source BTS (EE. UU.)

2006–2020Delta Air Lines · 15 years
Main base
ATLAtlanta15 years
Also flew to
LGANew YorkDTWDetroitMCOOrlandoDCAWashingtonCVGCincinnatiBDLHartfordMIAMiamiJFKNew YorkMSPMinneapolisMEMMemphisBOSBostonCHSCharlestonFLLFort LauderdaleDFWDallas/Fort WorthTPATampaBWIBaltimoreORDChicagoRDURaleigh/DurhamBHMBirminghamPHLPhiladelphia
2022–2026Everts Air Cargo airline base
Base
FAIFairbanks

Flight logbook

Year-by-year activity · source BTS (EE. UU.)

2020
Delta Air Lines · 392 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Pittsburgh (PIT) → Atlanta (ATL)
2019
Delta Air Lines · 1,769 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Atlanta (ATL) → Charleston (CHS)
2018
Delta Air Lines · 1,994 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Atlanta (ATL) → Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
2017
Delta Air Lines · 1,894 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Baltimore (BWI) → Atlanta (ATL)
2016
Delta Air Lines · 1,873 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Atlanta (ATL) → Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
2015
Delta Air Lines · 1,606 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Orlando (MCO) → New York (JFK)
2014
Delta Air Lines · 1,692 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: Atlanta (ATL) → Birmingham (BHM)
2013
Delta Air Lines · 1,718 flights during the year · base Atlanta (ATL)
Main route of the year: New York (LGA) → Miami (MIA)

Aircraft chronology

May 22, 1991
Delivered to Delta Air Lines
Delivered to Delta Air Lines as N979DL.
Sep 27, 2022
Transferred to Everts Air Cargo
Transferred to Everts Air Cargo.
Sep 20, 2024
Re-registered
Changed from N979DL to N966CE (still with Everts Air Cargo).
May 2026
Placed in storage
In May 2026, the Douglas MD-88 aircraft (registration N966CE), operated by Everts Air, was placed in storage. Source: Everts Air.
Source: Everts Air
Aug 1, 2026
Returned to service
In August 2026, the Douglas MD-88 aircraft (registration N966CE), operated by Everts Air, returned to service. Source: Everts Air.
Source: Everts Air

Operators

1991-05-22
Delta Air Lines
Registration N979DL
2022-09-27
Everts Air Cargo
Registration N979DL
2024-09-20
Everts Air Cargo
Registration N966CE

Memories coming soon

The register of memories is not open on this aircraft yet. We are enabling it gradually, record by record, as we consolidate each aircraft's information.

Before opening it we check the aircraft identity — its registration, its serial number and its model — against the civil register of the authority that registered it, so that every memory belongs to the exact aircraft that lived it. When that work reaches this record, the register will open here.

Current position of the aircraft

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Real-time position via adsb.lol (ODbL license). There is a signal only while the aircraft is airborne and within coverage.

Cite

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This page was last updated on October 13, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 13). McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266

MLA

“McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 13 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 13, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266 (Accessed: 24 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_aircraft_md80_53266,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-13},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-24},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-24}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/aircraft/MD80-53266 |title=McDonnell Douglas MD-88 · N966CE · Delta Air Lines |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-13 |access-date=2026-10-24 |language=en}}