FedEx has made a practice of buying up all sorts of older used airplanes that other airlines have phased out, and have modernized them, in some cases converted from passenger to cargo (with their special interiors that use the automated-switching stuff at their hubs), etc. Examples include the 727, DC-10, A300, and A310, as well as 747-100s and 747-200s. So adding more 747s, which they already have to crew and maintain, seems more logical than ordering the A380. Obviously the A380 will have greater overall capacity and lower hourly costs, which apparently outweigh the initial purchase price plus fleet commonality issues for FedEx. -- Michael C. Berch mcb@postmodern.com On Tuesday, July 16, 2002, at 05:20 PM, Addison Schonland wrote: > if nobody wants 747s, why would/should FedEx buy them? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael C. Berch > > This seems sort of odd, although FedEx could certainly use some big > planes. But is the operating economy that much better than a 747? > FedEx could buy 747s for a song - everybody seems to be unloading them. > > -- > Michael C. Berch > mcb@postmodern.com