Does any Delta Pilot know what the plans are regarding the NWA DC-9's? I have heard rumors that they are going to keep some of them. I wonder how many? Seems like it would be hard to be seen as the "Premier Global Airline" that they keep touting while we're flying 40 year old planes.
Northwest DC-9's
- Thread starter Cajun Flyer
- Start date
I'm not a pilot, But if other airlines are parking MD-80 series A/C, The older and less efficient DC-9 should be parked first.
bagboy
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- Sep 30, 2007
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Kev3188
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NW was already planning on parking a good number of them prior to the merger announcement and/or oil price going through the roof...
As far as parking them, the question is: At what point do fuel prices outweigh the fact that they're paid for? As it is, NW can park them or put them in service almost at will without eating a lease payment.
Cajun Flyer--
Have you been on a NW DC9 lately? They were all overhauled not too long ago. The interiors are actually quite nice. As for reliability, I don't have the current numbers here at home, but at one point the DC9 fleet had the highest dispatch reliability in the fleet.
As far as parking them, the question is: At what point do fuel prices outweigh the fact that they're paid for? As it is, NW can park them or put them in service almost at will without eating a lease payment.
Cajun Flyer--
Have you been on a NW DC9 lately? They were all overhauled not too long ago. The interiors are actually quite nice. As for reliability, I don't have the current numbers here at home, but at one point the DC9 fleet had the highest dispatch reliability in the fleet.
DAL Mech
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metopower
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- Nov 28, 2006
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What we have been told is that they stay . The bulk of the 50 seat rj's are going to be parked. They plan that the bulk of the aircraft elimination will be at the connection carriers . It was the plan to fly the 9's because they are payed for , in good shape and they are mainline aircraft (no furlough of NWA or DAL employees per the business plan).That was when oil was at seventy dollars when the merger was announced. I still do not see what has changed. The 9 is sill cheaper to operate the the RJ
They are stay for the short term because we need a 100 passenger aircraft. When you see DL place an order for a new 100 pax airplane then the DC9 will be finished.
- Thread Starter
- #8
Thanks for the info. I guess what worries me is that they are 40 years old and with every successive flight with these planes it just ups the chance of failure. These aircraft have been pushed hard for 4 decades. That right there is frightening. We've all seen that the airlines are not having such a great track record in these last few years with completing maintenance checks, etc. and I just read that 71% of NWA's maintenance has been outsourced since 2001 which makes one even more fearful. I just wonder when it's going to catch up to us coupled with the fact that we are flying older and older planes. That may be doomsday type of thinking but it's realistic at the same time considering the circumstances. I don't know how Delta can consider itself the "premier global airline" if we're flying the oldest fleet on the planet.
To be perfectly honest, I don't want to work DC-9's and am hoping that they will be gone before we have to.
I wouldn't be real concerned about the safety of the DC9's due to their age. The DC9/MD80 is a tank. Douglas did some strange systems stuff, but they knew how to build a strong airframe. I would be concerned about the outsourced MTC though. You have to wonder about some of the places all airlines are sending the metal to get worked on.
When we did MD88 overhaul, I believe we put out a good, Quality,ready to go Aircraft.
Once they went to Mexico I've seen some strange things.
DAL Mech
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Cant really argue with that statement. We had one in 251 recently that had window plugs just put in place, no hardware at all.
WHISPERJETT
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- Sep 30, 2007
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I heard there was a strange green substance found on the fan-blades...turned out it was guacamole..lol
yoyodyne
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Kev3188
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