SAA just sent 2 A350s to a Spain graveyard...will Delta buy them?
Jul 22, 2020, 12:27 pm
#2
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Do they use the same engines as DL's A350s? It's cheaper (for maintenance training/time/logistics and parts inventory) to operate a matched fleet, although the economies are exhausted long before the WN extreme of using only a single aircraft type for a large carrier.
Jul 22, 2020, 12:33 pm
#3
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Do they use the same engines as DL's A350s? It's cheaper (for maintenance training/time/logistics and parts inventory) to operate a matched fleet, although the economies are exhausted long before the WN extreme of using only a single aircraft type for a large carrier.
Jul 22, 2020, 12:50 pm
#5
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Unlikely.
Remember DL dropped the direct purchase of 4 A350s from LATAM (and paid LATAM $60m+ for doing so)
Also SAA did not own them. They were leased.
Remember DL dropped the direct purchase of 4 A350s from LATAM (and paid LATAM $60m+ for doing so)
Also SAA did not own them. They were leased.
Last edited by UKtravelbear; Jul 22, 2020 at 12:56 pm
Jul 22, 2020, 2:15 pm
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Jul 22, 2020, 2:31 pm
#8
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I doubt it. Plus SAA hasn't officially terminated the leases -- they just put them in storage pending resolution of their financial situation.
DL has a pretty healthy pipeline of A350 orders anyway -- I believe it's at 25 or 26 including the 10 they took over from LATAM.
Plus by sticking with direct from manufacturer planes (instead of those already built), DL maintains some leverage in ongoing negotiations with Airbus -- even if it's something as small as getting Airbus to covert 5-10 orders to A359ULR without charge -- leverage they wouldn't have taking over the lease of an existing plane (plus they'd have to pay to reconfigure it to DL specs)
DL has a pretty healthy pipeline of A350 orders anyway -- I believe it's at 25 or 26 including the 10 they took over from LATAM.
Plus by sticking with direct from manufacturer planes (instead of those already built), DL maintains some leverage in ongoing negotiations with Airbus -- even if it's something as small as getting Airbus to covert 5-10 orders to A359ULR without charge -- leverage they wouldn't have taking over the lease of an existing plane (plus they'd have to pay to reconfigure it to DL specs)
Jul 22, 2020, 2:50 pm
#9
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Neither of which looks to be reopening until next year. Besides DL has its own fleet that is currently either parked or severely underutilized as it stands, they aren't lacking in long-haul aircraft. I can't think of a single airline that is lacking actually.
Jul 22, 2020, 3:27 pm
#10
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How come every time someone parks a few aircraft, a thread is started asking if they may be bought by Delta Air Lines? However, asking the question in the midst of the biggest downturn commercial aviation has seen since the second world war, is taking things to extremes. There's not a single airline in the world with cash to spare, and they've all drastically curtailed their operations, none more so than for international and, indeed, intercontinental flights.
The A350 is only offered with the RR Trent XWB, albeit with different thrust ratings.
The A350 is only offered with the RR Trent XWB, albeit with different thrust ratings.
Jul 23, 2020, 7:16 am
#11
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Astute observation. The engine is a huge cost driver in the sustainment of a fleet. Achieving efficiencies with the engine is a big deal. Though in WN case, it might be too far because if there is grounding-level incident, the entire fleet is grounded.
Jul 23, 2020, 3:31 pm
#12
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That's mostly accurate, but missing in a subtle way. Right now they are 737-700 and 737-800 flying, and 737 MAX 7 and 737 MAX 8 stored. In the case of the two variants of the MAX, yes they would be in trouble had they been completely MAX based and something parked all the MAX fleet, but even historically, they were never a single model airline. For a time even, they were flying -200 and -500, a first and second generation, at the same time. Those were substantially different, and importantly the engines are completely different.
Jul 25, 2020, 3:12 pm
#14
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Do they use the same engines as DL's A350s? It's cheaper (for maintenance training/time/logistics and parts inventory) to operate a matched fleet, although the economies are exhausted long before the WN extreme of using only a single aircraft type for a large carrier.
Only wide body with an engine choice now is the 787 (GE or Rolls). 777X is GE only and A350/A330NEO is Rolls only.
Jul 25, 2020, 3:28 pm
#15
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FYI, DL is back flying LAX-SYD now 3x weekly with the 77L. Cargo is driving the return of this flight but they are also selling pax capacity for those allowed to travel between the US and Australia (though subject of course to NSW’s limit of max 50 pax per international flight to SYD).