Originally Posted by
RangerNS
Stored away from ice (read: salt) and with suitable lubing up, several months of idle time will cost little more than financing interest. It's hours and cycles that cos;, fire extinguishers and bandaids that expire based on the calendar are cheap.
It could easily be months to get space in a maintenance hangar, or expected parts on the shelf.
There's a few things that aren't likely in this post. Airplanes are not exposed to salt or any other chloride-based product on icy surfaces. I can't think of a Canadian airport nor any Dreamliner destination that uses (or requires the use of) salt. Potassium Acetate and Sodium Formate are used for surface anti/deicing and are non-corrosive.
Several months of an idle Boeing 787 would cost its owner millions of dollars per frame. Don't be fooled into believing that any airline is saving money by parking its airplanes.
It may take months to book a slot at a third-party MRO shop, yes. None of the 787 fleet require such attention yet. Air Canada is able to perform any and all required routine 787 maintenance in-house at this stage of their operating lives. They hold the ability to schedule and prioritize their maintenance schedule as they see fit. Boeing may have dropped the ball on a number of fronts, but they still provide rapid customer service for any and all Dreamliner parts, assuming AC doesn't already stock a needed item in YYZ/YVR/YUL. AC could expect overnight parts delivery to any airport in Canada south of 60.