Delta merger could mean more fuel-efficient fleet
By MARILYN GEEWAX
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/19/08
Washington — Mechanics agree that a properly maintained airplane can fly safely for decades.
But safety is one thing; cost is another. Older planes guzzle fuel and are expensive to inspect, mantain and update. One benefit of the proposed merger of Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. may be the opportunity to cut costs by combining their 975 planes into one fleet and retiring the oldest aircraft.
AGING FLEETS
Average fleet age of major U.S. carriers
• Continental: 10.1 years
• U.S. Airways: 12.2 years
• United: 12.7 years
• Delta: 13.8 years
• American: 14.7 years
• Northwest: 18.5 years
Source: Airsafe.com
"Both have aging fleets that are not particularly fuel-efficient," said Ernest Arvai, president of the Arvai Group, an airline consulting firm based in Windham, N.H. "The high cost of fuel has created difficulties in operating older aircraft profitably, and neither has the cash to pay for the new aircraft they need as quickly as possible."
By retiring the oldest workhorses, such as McDonnell Douglas DC-9s, the merged airlines can eliminate their worst fuel guzzlers. Earlier this year, Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest said it would ground about a third of its 103 DC-9s, which average more than 30 years of service.
By parking some of those planes, Northwest already has lowered its average fleet age to less than 19 years, but it still has the oldest fleet among the six largest U.S. carriers, according to Airsafe.com, a Web site that collects aviation data.
Delta spokesman Kent Landers said it's too early in the merger process to say just how many planes would be retired, but at least some DC-9s would continue flying because they have roughly 100 seats, a good size for some routes. The immediate goal is not simply to retire planes, but to have "an aircraft to fit every market so that we can most efficiently match customer demand," he said.
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