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Boeing 717

Boeing 717

Alf van Beem — CC0

The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle narrow-body regional airliner originally developed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. Conceived as a modern, third-generation successor to the venerable DC-9 family, the aircraft was tailored specifically for the high-frequency, 100-seat short-haul market segment. Following Boeing's acquisition of McDonnell Douglas in 1997, the program was rebranded under the Boeing name, securing its place in commercial aviation history.

Powered by two tail-mounted Rolls-Royce BR715 turbofan engines, the 717 features exceptional takeoff and climb performance suited to rapid-turnaround regional operations. Despite a relatively short production run that yielded only 156 airframes before concluding in 2006, the aircraft built a reputation for high dispatch reliability and rugged durability, finding a dedicated operational footprint with major carriers like Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines.

By The Numbers

Originally launched by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95 and later rebranded following the 1997 merger, the Boeing 717 had a relatively brief production run. Between 1998 and 2006, a total of 156 aircraft were built at the Long Beach assembly plant in California before manufacturing officially concluded.

Today, the niche 100-seat twinjet is operated by only a couple of major carriers. Delta Air Lines stands as the largest heavy user, maintaining a fleet of around 80 aircraft largely inherited through its absorption of AirTran Airways capacity. Hawaiian Airlines operates the remaining primary active fleet, deploying roughly 19 of the rear-engined jets on high-frequency inter-island routes.

Manufacturing

Where It's Built

Final assembly of the Boeing 717 (originally launched by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95) took place at Boeing's facility in Long Beach, California. The aircraft relied heavily on an international network of risk-sharing primary structural and systems partners.

Key major structural suppliers included:

  • Alenia Aerospazio (Italy): Manufactured the entire fuselage structure.
  • Halla Group (South Korea): Produced the aircraft wings.
  • Korean Air Lines (Manufacturing Division): Built the nose section and cockpit.
  • Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC - Taiwan): Fabricated the empennage and tail assembly.
  • ShinMaywa (Japan): Supplied the horizontal stabilizer.

Specific program development costs are not precisely or formally documented as a standalone public figure by Boeing or its predecessor McDonnell Douglas, as the aircraft was evolved directly as a minimum-cost derivative of the DC-9/MD-80/MD-90 family rather than an entirely clean-sheet program.

Notable Operators

Delta Air LinesHawaiian AirlinesAirTran AirwaysQantasLinkVolotea

Safety Record

Notable Safety History

Over a quarter-century of intensive regional and mainline service, the Boeing 717-200 has maintained an exceptional safety record free of any fatal accidents or hull-loss events attributed to inherent design flaws, weather phenomena, or systemic mechanical failures. The type operational history has undergone rigorous oversight by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and international equivalents, resulting in vital maintenance and component longevity enhancements.

The most prominent safety investigation involving the aircraft type occurred on June 28, 2023, when Delta Air Lines Flight 1092, a Boeing 717-200 carrying 104 passengers and crew, experienced a major landing gear malfunction prior to arrival at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. After standard and manual extension procedures failed to deploy the nose landing gear, the flight crew successfully executed a controlled nose-down landing on the runway, resulting in no injuries and a safe emergency evacuation.

The subsequent NTSB investigation revealed that the nose landing gear upper lock link had failed due to a fatigue fracture. Investigators traced the origin of the micro-cracks to surface tool marks introduced during a prior manufacturing or overhaul process that did not strictly comply with manufacturer service bulletins. In response to the findings and safety recommendations, operator and industry actions focused on comprehensive fleet-wide inspections of nose landing gear upper lock links and spare parts inventories to verify surface integrity and prevent recurrence.

Covers officially investigated accidents only, per aviation safety authorities (NTSB, FAA, EASA, AAIB or equivalent).

Sources & Further Reading