In today's paper it says LY is in its last stages of making a new fleet purchase plan. The main feature of the plan is to purchase new plane at a price of half a billion dollars. It also says they are looking at two options now. Either to purchase 3- 4 773 or make a mix 787/777 order.
They plan to get the new a/c in the next three years, but plan to make the purchase in the next three months.
How is LY going to make a mix 777/787 deal with "only" half a billion dollars. With list price of a 777-300ER being $250 -- 279 million and 787-8/9 being 157.0 -- 167.0/189.0 -- 200.0????
Along with this article ....
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...pands-777.html
It looks like the plan is to replace 744 with 773, and have the 744 converted into freighters. I was told a while ago by a friend at LY that they plan to make a decision by the end of the year regarding the old 742 freighters. Some options were to either convert the pax 744 or to purchase or lease cargo 744.
I would not run into an conclusion so fast ... we are aware of LY tactics to use he press all the time to make it seem like they are always planning on upgrading and getting new fleets. We have been talking about LY ordering 787 for over three years now. We have heard LY planning to get rid of their 742 cargo fleet for over 4 years as well. Most of these announcements come from the reporter ZOHAR BLUMENKRANTZ from HA"ARETZ , who reported today on the new 773 acquisition.
The article wasnt specific enough and it didnt mention what type of 773 they are getting. i presume 773ER, but all the article states is that they plan on getting this time 773 which have a large ranger than 772. So I guess it is 773ER. I think this will be the first time LY gets GE engines for its a/c. I have pondered in the past the option of LY getting non ER 773, since i think the nonER still have enough range to fly TLV - JFK/LHR/BKK and HKG.
Link to article
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/page...ubContrassID=0
So from all the talk and rumors running around, it looks like LY is planning to :
Lease 787
Purchase 777 (773 would be wiser choice in the long run)
Convert 744 into freighters
I dont see how they will replace the 744 with 773? Thats a downgrade in capacity.
This new plan of theirs is looking more like the plan i had for LY that i wrote in a.net a few months ago ....
Initially replace 767 with 787-8 and 787-9 and replace 744 with 773.
In the second stage to replace 772 with 787-10 and more 773.
At some point to get 2 -3 748 or A380 for JFK and LHR.