Re: UPS Fleet News and Discussion - 2024

What’s the estimated timeframe on the MD-11F retirement now? Is it expected that FedEx and Western Global will outlast UPS as operators of the type?

Re: Qantas Group Fleet - 2024

Thank you for the replies. Forgive me for asking, as I am not abreast with the finer details of QantasLink’s fleet plans, but it would appear the 717 retirements have been prioritized over the F100 (given by present active fleet counts per planespotters), is that indeed correct? If so, what are the ...

Re: Qantas Group Fleet - 2024

What is the present fleet retirement timeline for the 717? Has it continued to be pushed out due to Pratt & Whitney engine issues with its replacements?

Re: JetBlue Network - 2024

Courtesy: The Hill JetBlue eliminating service to five cities after failed Spirit Airlines merger https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/4544913-jetblue-eliminating-service-failed-spirit-airlines-merger/ Wall Street seems to be responding favorably to the news, with the six-month uptrend still i...

Re: ITA Airways News and Discussion - 2024

ITA posted their 2023 results Mere net loss of -€5 million on €2.4bil in revenues. This compares to a -€486 loss in 2022. Top segments for revenue are intercontinental routes €1billion, domestic €700mil, and short/medium haul €500mil. Ended the year with 85 aircraft and carried 14.8million passenge...

Re: ITA Airways News and Discussion - 2024

I wish LH group was simply not allowed to take over ITA. It is outrageous enough that they were allowed to acquire the big part of Air Berlin operations and practically created a monopoly in the largest EU country. The European Comission and its antitrust policies are a joke. So what was the altern...

Re: Icahn Takes 9.9% Stake in JetBlue

Well, this devolved into an emotional TWA thread pretty quickly. Given how many anutters are armchair bean counters, I’m quite surprised the pool here are missing this trade. 23% gain in 2 days! Seeking Alpha shows a short interest of 10.63%. The Icahn news is the catalyst that’s caught them off gu...

Re: ITA Airways News and Discussion - 2024

I suppose that’s better than using the resources to market Chicago to locals in Lazio... Which begs the question, how many people in Italy really want to go to Chicago these days? (Or NYC for that matter). Are Italians still enamored with tall buildings? Or are other US destinations garnering more i...

Re: Icahn Takes 9.9% Stake in JetBlue

Well, this devolved into an emotional TWA thread pretty quickly. Given how many anutters are armchair bean counters, I’m quite surprised the pool here are missing this trade. 23% gain in 2 days! Seeking Alpha shows a short interest of 10.63%. The Icahn news is the catalyst that’s caught them off gua...

Re: Icahn Takes 9.9% Stake in JetBlue

Share price up substantially since the news broke, 18% on the day (including 16% post-market hours). JBLU has arguably been oversold leading into this and seems to have formed a bottom on the chart technicals. Combined with short sellers now unexpectedly forced to cover, this news has the makings fo...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2024

That would be an unfortunate sign if the last 5 717s are now backdated to 2025. Unless they’re contingent upon QantasLink scrappings, of which fleet retirements are postponed due to replacement A220 delays.

Re: Day trip to be on a particular airline/aircraft

TWA ORD-STL-ORD to compare and contrast the about-to-be retired diesel DC9-30, with the brand-new plane smell of the 717.

Re: Day trip to be on a particular airline/aircraft

LAS-DFW-ELP specifically to hitch a ride on the soon to be retired AA MD-80s. I even managed to get onto N501AA for a bit... was she the last AA bought MD-80 by retirement? The last factory purchased MD80 from AA was N567AM, delivered 09/92. The last retired AA MD80 to be purchased by another firm ...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2024

Does anyone know if new 717 parts are still being ordered & produced? Or is literally everything these days either harvested from scrapped frames or leftover from the pre-pandemic repository?

Re: Mesa Airlines reworks United deal and continues selling CRJ900s

How many CRJ-900s does/did Mesa own? How many are they selling? As I understand it, all 29 owned have been sold. • Sold 7 CRJ-900 NextGen aircraft for gross proceeds of $71.2 million. • Sold 7 remaining of 11 CRJ-900s previously contracted for sale for gross proceeds of $21.0 million. • Entered int...

Re: Mesa Faces Threat of Stock Being Delisted

United agreeing, retro actively, to pay Mesa $63.5 million in higher CPA rates (as of October 1, 2023), or $50.8 million for the full calendar year 2024 (per the recent 10-Q), prove any supposed “wind down” between the two to be pie in the sky.

Re: Phoenix Aviation - 2024

As a single local man in his late thirties, I’ve dated 3 attractive Taiwanese ladies during the past year. And met a few others. Most were expats on business, all relatively new to US. Phoenix is becoming a boon location for young Taiwanese professionals. CI or Eva scheduled service could happen som...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2024

Smooth jazz would be welcome as boarding music. Also, not all fleet types have full-color mood lighting, some are bi-color blue/white only. The types that I think have full color are 739ER, 753, 764ER, A221, A223, A321, A321neo, A332, A333, and A359. No full-color mood lighting on the A339? Did I r...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2024

I remember as kid walking onto an L-1011 with light classical music playing. Not something I’d listen to every day, but it set a calming tone. And a feeling of elegance as we walked onto the impressive wide body cabin. Nowadays, I feel like I’m walking into a Forever 21 store with wings. My ear plug...

Re: Mesa Airlines reworks United deal and continues selling CRJ900s

From a business standpoint, this is a prudent move. Allows Mesa to reduce costs by standardizing on the E175, while using the proceeds to pay down debt.

Re: 10 years ago: The retirement of Delta DC-9-50

Great post and acknowledgment. Can’t believe it’s already been a decade.

I made sure to book multiple routings in 2012-2013 to get on the D95 before they were gone. While ORD-DTW-MCI was surely inconvenient, it was absolutely well worth it.

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2024

Reposting here ****************************************************************************************** I am sure I speak for many here, THANK YOU for the amazing work you do with keeping us updated on all the changes in the DL fleet! Happy New Year! Big +1 to that. n515cr, you’re the real MVP of...

Re: Jet age airline with most varied/ interesting fleet at one time

US airline fleets between about 1995 and 2002 were a pretty interesting mix. In 1999, United had 727-100s and 747-100s flying alongside 747-400s, 777-200ERs and A319s and A320s. Agreed circa 1995 was the pinnacle of fleet type variety. But I believe the 721s were gone by ‘93 from UA once enough 735...

Re: Phoenix Aviation - 2023

From a spotting standpoint, we lose a little bit of variety with the A332 replacement by the 789.

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Then another widebody order likely in 2025-2026 to address last of the 763, 764, and Oldest A330CEO at end of decade. Well, well, well… seems like some word eating will be in order for the dogmatic cohort, whose insistence on 30+ year old A330CEO’s operating TATL in the 2030s looks less likely than...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

It’s way to early to get too excited about that either way. One it’s pure internet rumor at this point, and two the PMNW 333s are already 20-22 years in service. They are going to make it to around 30 years either way you slice it. I know. Just tongue in cheek, busting chops. But I think people nee...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Then another widebody order likely in 2025-2026 to address last of the 763, 764, and Oldest A330CEO at end of decade. Well, well, well… seems like some word eating will be in order for the dogmatic cohort, whose insistence on 30+ year old A330CEO’s operating TATL in the 2030s looks less likely than...

Re: AA at PHX in the 1970s

If memory serves me correct, N110AA arrived into ORD from PHX, as its opening leg on 5/25/79. Just hours before the ill fated AA 191 flight to LAX would make history.

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

MIflyer12 wrote:

Sure, DL bought MD-90s in multiple transactions but some of them were just for parts, and I don't recall any small (fewer than 4?) transactions.

Somebody may be along to corrent me.

Re: Delta Air Lines Network - 2023

Interesting widebody seasonal add: ATL-PHX 1 daily A359. Upgrade from seasonal 763ER in the year prior.

Last year, the A359 was placed on the MSP-ATL snow bird service. But this year multiple 753s have taken its place.

Re: TWA International Flying Summer 1996 (Hub/Focus City Departures)

What were the final TWA Tristar routings? In the summer of 1996, the Tristar was only approx. one year away from retirement (09/97) so I feel it’s relevant to this discussion. Separately, the JFK-PHX MD83 service is of interesting note, being one of the long westbound mad dog legs. Eclipsing AA’s OR...

Re: ITA Airways News and Discussion - 2023

Out of curiosity, what year did the AZ/KLM proposed alliance fall apart?

Re: Etiquette on ordering drinks in Premium Economy

Just wait until a flight attendant is nearby and then use your chance to ask for it. Don't make them come all the way to you for something as silly as a drink, which can easily wait a few minutes, while they are doing something else. Exactly. They have text messages to read and finger nails to file...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Thanks for the update. The 717 plan always being fluid. The prior plan was 80 in service end of 2023 and 88 for summer 2024. Thus we already have the balance to get to 80 already out of storage and going through QRO to get to 80 for year end 2023. Curious what the driving cause was to push out reac...

Re: Italy Aviation - 2023

Speaking of Sicily-TATL service, has CTA ever seen traffic across the pond? Can the runways accommodate widebodies like PMO?

Re: Delta Air Lines Network - 2023

With all the talk of the CR9, it got me thinking: What is the estimated retirement date for the CR9, as a network aircraft? Post 2030 a safe bet?

Re: Alitalia, still flying or did I see a ghost?

With A223s & A320NEOs joining the ITA fleet in greater number, might the days be numbered for some of the A319/320CEOs? That could explain the low priority repaint.

Re: Last time you flew on a tri-/quad-jet

Last trijet: LY MD-11ER, LAX-TLV-LAX, late ‘90s.

Last quad: LH A346, ORD-MUC-ORD, May ‘23.

Re: Phoenix Aviation - 2023

I was expecting to find a DL widebody on PHX-MSP for the upcoming winter schedule. But last I looked for early December, the largest aircraft was a 753. A 753 & 717 combo still ain’t bad for a Midwest family visit, (in the sea of monotonous 737/A32X in PHX), but I was looking for the A359. Bette...

Re: ITA Airways News and Discussion - 2023

Are there plans to drawdown the A319/320CEO fleets as more A220 and A320NEO aircraft are delivered?

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Up to 14% but DL's real world savings won't be close to that. Plenty of discussion on this. Highest fuel savings are at maximum range. The 333 (lesser weight variant) is more efficient than the 339 on short flights. You’re changing the goals posts.:lol: I’m quoted as saying 15% in “fuel efficiency....

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Mid 2030s....the PMNW 330CEO 332/333 will be 30 years old. Exactly proving the point we are making. There are some here advocating that DL should accelerate the retirement/draw down of the 763, 764, 332, 332 before they get to ~30 years of service. DL isn't going to unnecessarily go crazy and order...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

I don't think it is 15% but say it was, and say over the next 10 years that fuel cost averages at $4.00 a gallon, that's still a savings of only about $2.5 million (quick sloppy math) a year. Even if factoring a little MTC savings, when compared to interest and depreciation and it makes no sense to...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

I don't think it is 15% but say it was, and say over the next 10 years that fuel cost averages at $4.00 a gallon, that's still a savings of only about $2.5 million (quick sloppy math) a year. Even if factoring a little MTC savings, when compared to interest and depreciation and it makes no sense to...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

It'll be interesting to see if DL actually flies the A330ceos for 30 years. For some reason that I can't entirely explain, I'm thinking they'll retire them before that and bring on more efficient aircraft, especially if fuel prices really ramp up. I’m inclined to agree that the history of DL’s 763E...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Regarding the 10 remaining 717s still stored at SBD/VCV/BHM: are their reactivations contingent upon acquiring the QantasLink fleet for parts? Or is there a plan to reactivate the remaining 10 stored via new parts orders from suppliers? The reason I ask is because the continued A220 delivery delays ...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Re 717s and everything else… DL has more than enough planes to fly their scheduled capacity as-is until March 2024. Hence there isn’t a urgent need other than MRO throughout to be able to get to what they need for peak spring and summer 2024 This makes a lot of sense. Seems 80 would be a more reali...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Yes the 72S were scheduled to exit the fleet by 2005: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB922380288829497267 No firm date was set for the MD-11. In its squabble with the pilots, DL claimed it had put its 777 up for sale. It took delivery of seven in 1999 and one more in 2002 after it couldnt find a buye...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

Had it not been for 9/11, it would have been interesting to see how long DL would have operated the MD-11. Somewhere between AY and KL’s service length seems plausible, but probably closer to the former due to the great financial crisis and Chapter 11. Apparently if it weren't for 9/11, the MD-11s ...

Re: Delta Air Lines Fleet - 2023

The 717’s have slowed coming out of QRO. Is it due to engine availability? I have been wondering the same thing. Is it engines/parts, anticipation of rising fuel costs/slowing economy (given they’re a flex fleet), or simply just waiting in the queue for others to complete work at QRO first? There w...