Because of the recent ditching in New York's Hudson River, the A320 has been in the news. The WikiPedia site has this comment in its
Airbus article:
With jet fuel prices rising dramatically, Northwest Airlines is replacing McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft it has had in service for decades, because the A319 is 27% more fuel efficient than the DC-9.
citing as its source the NY Times article
To Save Fuel, Airlines Find No Speck Too Small (June 11, 2008).
My dumb questions:
- Is it the aerodynamics of the DC-9 itself that is not fuel efficient compared to more modern jet aircraft?
- Could not the DC-9 be refitted with newer engines to achieve nearly the same fuel efficiency as with new aircraft?
- Or was it simply that NWA's DC-9s were simply too old and at a retirement age?