...This may or may not be a stupid question... How much parts commonality between earlier model DC-9s (10's, 30's, etc) and the 717.... Bryant Petitt Cumming, GA --- Addison Schonland <addison@schonland.com> wrote: > 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. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/