The question would have to be..would NW want to train a new cadre of pilots for the 717? With the 318, training is common with the other busses. Then again....you are correct...it's all about money. Gotta love those NW DC-9s. Walter DCA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Addison Schonland" <addison@schonland.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > By this logic guess who is waiting in the wings to get 717s cheap? NW could > swoop in and pick them all up for a song....that means no 318s, but its > about the money. Boeing would give them away to keep the line going. If NW > buys them Boeing gets the big airline endorsement they need -- a win-win. > AA looks back and thinks about its costs going up and sighs. > > -----Original Message----- > From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of > Roger & Amanda La France > Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 6:27 AM > To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU > Subject: Aviation Daily: Northwest's DC-9s Key To Flexibility, Cost > Control > > > Aviation Daily: Northwest's DC-9s Key To Flexibility, Cost Control > > > By Steve Lott/Aviation Daily > > 17-Jan-2002 7:50 AM U.S. EST > > > > Northwest plans to keep operating its large fleet of aging DC-9 narrowbodies > well into the future, as the planes are a key part of the carrier's strategy > to keep costs low and rebound from the current crisis. > > > As long as industry revenues remain weak, most agree that airlines that keep > expenses in check will come out on top. Northwest CEO Richard Anderson views > the DC-9 fleet as a significant competitive advantage to keep costs low and > maintain its capacity flexibility. "Suddenly our fleet strategy looks good," > he told The DAILY in Minneapolis. > > > Northwest today will report a fourth quarter loss, but executives are > expected to highlight the fact that the airline has maintained a unit cost > advantage relative to the industry. Celebrating his first anniversary next > month as CEO, Anderson said the airline's cost-cutting moves and fleet > strategy put it a step ahead of most other U.S. majors. > > > The airline flies about 170 DC-9 variations from its three hubs to its wide > network of many smaller domestic cities. Anderson said the 30-year-old DC-9 > is a perfectly sized aircraft because of its high-frequency operating > capability and the fact that there is no comparable replacement available. > > > Anderson cited DAILY data showing that Northwest's block hour costs for its > 114 DC-9-30s is $2,133, significantly below the costs of the Boeing 737 and > Fokker 100 (DAILY, Nov. 6). "The DC-9s are all paid for, and it is a very > profitable, very reliable airplane. It is also very efficient to operate," > he said. > > > Northwest operates the DC-9 an average of seven cycles per day on a fairly > short stage length. The carrier uses its larger Airbus A319s and A320 on > hub-to-hub markets and long-haul flying. "Northwest uniquely needs a > 100-seater," he said. "Frequencies are best served by a very efficient, > low-cost airplane that has very high reliability." > > > He said that the 737s are not a good replacement as they are too large for > the DC-9 markets. "The worst thing you can have in our business is an > airplane that's too big for the market," Anderson said. "No airline went out > of business for having airplanes that were too small for the market they > were serving." > > > While Northwest is occasionally criticized for its aging fleet of DC-9s, > Anderson said the airline spent as much as $7 million per aircraft for a > complete overhaul, inside and out. "It's basically a completely refurbished > airplane," he said. The airline hushkitted all the planes, installed new > interiors and fixed all the technical issues that historically caused > reliability problems. > > > Because the capital cost of the DC-9 is low, Northwest can carry nine spares > to boost its on-time performance and reliability. "We use these airplanes to > have a lot of flexibility because the capital cost is essentially zero," he > said. > > > The airline also can adjust its capacity quickly thanks to the large fleet > of DC-9s. It has retired its MD-80s, 727s, 747-100, and all the 747-200s > that are not higher-power, higher-gross-weight versions. Anderson said the > airline is working to retire its DC-10-40s "as fast we can." While the > airline has retired some of its oldest DC-9-10s and will retire more when > they hit about 100,000 cycles or roughly 35 years of age, the DC-9 is a > cornerstone of its near-term fleet strategy. Northwest will take delivery of > 61 aircraft this year -- 23 regional jets and 38 mainline aircraft.