I cant add anything to this discussion but I hope you will forgive me for posting this as it shows some of the costs involved in running an aircraft. I had been following this thread in the African forum:
SAA Lebombo RIP . Besides the pictures it has this on the bottom of the first page:
This Boeing 747-200 (B747) joined the airline on 6 November 1971 at the cost of ZAR17 milion (Euro 1.9 million) and has carried 6 million passengers (world fleet of B747 to date has carried more than 3.5 billlion), done an amazing 107,000 flying hours, twelve and a half years airbone, 481.5 million nautical miles or 886 million Km using 160.5 million litres of jet A1, used 3384 tyres at a cost of ZAR30.4 million (Euro 3.38 million) nearly double the original purchase price.
Farkin Hell!