Aircraft regarded as second safest plane in the skies

THE MD-82 plane that crashed in Madrid is part of the MD 80 series commonly seen in Irish airports. The aircraft series is regarded by industry watchers as having a good safety record.

AirDisaster.com ranks the MD-80 series as the second safest plane in the skies. It also lists 18 significant accidents involving the model since its introduction.

The mid-range, two-engine, one-aisle jet, built by McDonnell Douglas of Long Beach, California, was introduced in 1980. Nearly 1,200 were built until production ceased in 1999, after McDonnell Douglas’ merger with Boeing.