Should AA order more 738s or wait for 737 replacement?

[700UW]

You wouldnt bring a plane back from the desert for parts, you would just have the Vendor remove them and ship them back to AA.

 

[jimntx]

True, but as damajagua and kirkpatrick said, I've seen no evidence that retired a/c are being brought back into service. Besides, are you sure that you know for a fact that AA would do the sensible, efficient thing if they are cannibalizing?

 

[700UW]

You would have to prep the plane for flight, inspect it, etc...

Send a crew to MHV, fly it to wherever and get it back for revenue flight.

No airline does that, when US parked planes in the MHV and we needed a part from them, we sent Mechanics from LAX to retrieve them, and then later on the vendor did it for them.

Its a lot of work to get a plane out of storage and fly it back to a base for RTS, they wouldnt waste that time, money for just parts.

Heck to buy a new part from a vendor would be cheaper.

 

[eolesen]

Could be as simple as a few of the leased MD80s being sent to storage so they wouldn't trigger an overhaul before returning to the owner. AA's done that a couple times IIRC.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Could be as simple as a few of the leased MD80s being sent to storage so they wouldn't trigger an overhaul before returning to the owner. AA's done that a couple times IIRC.

ding ding ding.... and could also be that AA sent some M80s to the desert before and are now being brought back for another summer before triggering another overhaul.

Doesn't change the fact that in time the M80 fleet will be reduced but the speed at which that is done very much depends on how much AA grows or shrinks its network and what the cost/benefit for replacement aircraft looks like.

 

[BoeingBoy]

A lot depends on whether AA is using long-term or short-term storage. If long term, they're most likely not coming back - as 700UW said, the likely cost would likely be prohibitive. But short-term or flyable storage, while costing more in storage costs, makes it a lot cheaper to bring them back.

Jim

 

[Frank Szabo]

A lot depends on whether AA is using long-term or short-term storage. If long term, they're most likely not coming back - as 700UW said, the likely cost would likely be prohibitive. But short-term or flyable storage, while costing more in storage costs, makes it a lot cheaper to bring them back.

Jim

For a while, there were 2-3 per week going to the desert - now we're seeing 2-3 per week come back with the blue white blue paint scheme.

Many of the aircraft that were parked were out of time and had a bad aft pressure bulkhead. The time issue can be fixed but AA isn't wanting to repair the bulkhead.

 

[Veritas]

For a while, there were 2-3 per week going to the desert - now we're seeing 2-3 per week come back with the blue white blue paint scheme.

Allegiant?

 

[Frank Szabo]

Allegiant?

Nope - it appears to be a return to service check and paint.

Allegiant is gone - it's been a quite a while since one of theirs was in TULE.

 

[eolesen]

And to answer the question that Frank missed, I don't know if Allegiant is in the market for any more MD80s right now. They've got their hands full with the 757 integration, are adding seats to their existing MD80 fleet, and also have 8 owned MD80's in storage right now (not sure if they've taken them out of service, or are just waiting to introduce them into service).

 

[700UW]

Actually Allegiant has leased out three of the six 757s and have not begun integrating them into the fleet.

N901NV: parked at NZC/VQQ
N902NV: parked at PAE
N903NV: parked at LTN as G-BYAH, will become G-LSAM shortly, for summer lease to Jet2
N904NV: parked at QLA as G-LSAL, for summer lease to Jet2

In their earnings conference call, Allegiant said they expect to do proving flights in May/June and assuming no problems have one of the 757s enter mainland service in late summer. They are not saying which routes (or charters) will see the aircraft used initially.

In the meantime, they supposedly have leased out three (not just two). One can be recalled at Allegiant's option anytime after Summer 2011 while the others run thru Summer 2012.

Interestingly, Allegiant expects to earn $15 to $18 million from the 3 leases thru Summer 2012. That is about the same dollar amount as they previously stated would be the in-service cost for one of the 757s. Basically thru the leases they will recover their costs of one of the 6 aircraft being bought

 

[Frank Szabo]

Actually Allegiant has leased out three of the six 757s and have not begun integrating them into the fleet.

N901NV: parked at NZC/VQQ
N902NV: parked at PAE
N903NV: parked at LTN as G-BYAH, will become G-LSAM shortly, for summer lease to Jet2
N904NV: parked at QLA as G-LSAL, for summer lease to Jet2

In their earnings conference call, Allegiant said they expect to do proving flights in May/June and assuming no problems have one of the 757s enter mainland service in late summer. They are not saying which routes (or charters) will see the aircraft used initially.

In the meantime, they supposedly have leased out three (not just two). One can be recalled at Allegiant's option anytime after Summer 2011 while the others run thru Summer 2012.

Interestingly, Allegiant expects to earn $15 to $18 million from the 3 leases thru Summer 2012. That is about the same dollar amount as they previously stated would be the in-service cost for one of the 757s. Basically thru the leases they will recover their costs of one of the 6 aircraft being bought

I didn't realize Allegiant was using 75s - nice info, but we were speaking of the MD 80s (DC9-80) that were maintained at the TULE base.

 

[700UW]

I was replying to Eric's post about Alliegiant

757 Pic

 

[eolesen]

I didn't realize Allegiant was using 75s - nice info, but we were speaking of the MD 80s (DC9-80) that were maintained at the TULE base.

I think you were the only one speaking of G4 aircraft being maintained by AA.

I read Veritas' one word question as questioning if the blue-stripers were coming out of the desert and being sold *to* Allegiant....

Unless they were already sold and simply hadn't been handed over, G4 doesn't appear to be buying anything right now that they haven't already committed to. And there are much lower time MD80's available on the market right now.

 

[upsilon]

It appears from listening to the Allegiant quarterly earnings call last week that they have two 757s purchased (with only one delivered refitted) and deposits on 4 more yet to be delivered. The 757 aircraft type has yet to be added to their Certificate and that will be their immediate focus. They anticipate using the initial 757(s) in the certification process in May and June and hope to have it completed for the Fall schedule.