About Boeing 717

B717

The 717 was originally developed by McDonnell Douglas under the designation of MD-95 as a replacement for the aging DC-9. The project was a complete overhaul of the DC-9 design, complete with new engines, cockpit, and modern systems. The airliner was renamed when the two companies merged in 1997. The first orders were placed in 1995 with the first aircrafts entering service in 1999.

Although 156 were built, a major difficulty for the B717 line was its lack of commonality with the rest of the Boeing aircraft family. This meant that it did not share similar cockpit and system designs with the rest of the Boeing models, making it costly for airlines to train their crews to fly the B717. In the end, the B717 was too “McDonnell Douglas” for Boeing, and was last seen on the assembly line on April 2006.