Making do isn't a cheap option in this context since the purchase cost is only part of the lifetime cost of a big aircraft. The most expensive option would be to make do and struggle on with aircraft which became too costly for every operator apart from us decades ago. The next most expensive is the A310 option detailed above. Sure there are some still about, albeit the very newest are at least 15 years old. We might even be able persuade their Iranian or Pakistan operators to sell us some. Then there is an expensive refurbishment and conversion process to pay for, retraining and reequipping, at the end of which we're left with a fleet suffering many of the issues and some of which are not a whole lot younger than those being replaced.
Last edited by ShotOne; 20th Sep 2013 at 19:01.