George Tower,
I agree with the concept of fleet continuity for short-haul operations - it makes sense for so many reasons. As far as long-haul ops are concerned, it becomes horses-for-courses.
The A343 is not a 'crap machine'. It was just incorrectly utilised by SAA. Many, many operators use it in conjunction with other types, i.e. Cathay, Air France, Lufthansa, etc. I guess SAA couldn't resist the price at which they were offered them.
As far as leasing them at a lesser price to a more established carrier (i.e. Jet Airways as opposed to Sahara) - not a bad move, especially if you want to see your money at the end of the day. Sahara currently own a handful of old 737s - not exactly great collateral when talking about a lease for $3 million.
Last edited by journeyman; 28th Jul 2005 at 11:59.