Definitly not a stupid question...... To sum it up...no commonality.. Walter DCA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bryant Petitt" <skyshirts@yahoo.com> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> > ...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/