On January 14, 2005, citing slow sales, Boeing announced that it planned to end production of the 717 after it had met all of its outstanding orders. The 156th and final 717 rolled off the assembly line in April 2006 for AirTran Airways, which was the 717's launch customer as well as its final customer.

The Boeing 717 was discontinued primarily due to a lack of market demand and internal competition within Boeing’s own aircraft portfolio. Originally developed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, the aircraft was rebranded as the 717 after the 1997 merger between the two companies. While it was a highly efficient, reliable, and quiet aircraft specifically designed for short-haul, high-frequency regional routes, it struggled to find a niche. It faced intense competition from the Bombardier CRJ series and Embraer's E-Jets, which were smaller and cheaper for regional airlines to operate. Furthermore, Boeing was focusing its resources on the larger 737 Next Generation (737-600 and 737-700) models, which shared a common cockpit and parts with the rest of the 737 family, making them more attractive to major airlines for fleet commonality. In January 2005, citing slow sales and the need to streamline production, Boeing announced it would end the program once outstanding orders were filled. The final 717 rolled off the assembly line in April 2006 for AirTran Airways, with only 156 units ever produced, though it remains a beloved workhorse for airlines like Delta and Hawaiian today.