Originally Posted by blubak
Could this possibly mean having & using 777,s??? Maybe this genius 'TOPHER' could explain to us all why Qantas doesnt operate them and while he is at it tell us who made the decision not to own them-dont think it was a union decision!!
The 77W burns about 2-4t an hour less than a 744, with 26 744s flying 14 hrs a day at US$1047/t, means it costs about US$1-1.5 million a day more to operate a fleet of 744s.
The list prices of a 77W is US$284 million, and given standard industry discounts it would take over 8 years of operating 77Ws for the fuel difference to pay for the US$4.5billion investment in new aircraft. By the time they are paid off, the A350 will be in service, offering comparable performance of a 77W, with a 30t lower empty weight.
If QF were going to buy the 777, they should have done so years ago when they had a real competitive advantage. Today the A380 offers a 15-20% lower fuel burn per seat over the 77W, it no longer has the advantage.