QF fleet reduction

[dragon man]

Rumours abound that a 10% reduction through grounding of aircraft to be announced due to bad forward bookings. Anyone else heard anything?

[waren9]

Which fleet(s)?

[Skystar320]

Most probably the 737-400's

[ruprecht]

4 X 747-300's are going at the end of the year.

[Keg]

Without much fanfare the schedule from MEL-SYD was increased from 1:20 to 1:25. It means that no longer are we scheduled to arrive at 1050 to depart 40 minutes later at 1130. Now we're scheduled to arrive at 1055 and the new turn around time for that aircraft is 1200. Whilst I applaud the move in terms of ensuring schedule stability- I remember 767 crews screaming for stuff like that in the late '90s but it wasn't until DJ happened along and 'on time' became a priority and then fuel a much bigger one that QF moved on it- the reality is that our aircraft are now less 'efficient' and we'll need more of them to fly the cityflyer. In essence, it appears that if we're going to park an aeroplane that we've leased we may as well have it operating and give the schedule a bit more reliability.

Interesting times.

[waren9]

OK, QF drop a couple of Classics. Aren't there some NG's on the way in '09?

Not a biggie I would have thought. And as Keg says, if you can rejig the schedule to something more realistic so ontime performance looks good too then smiles all round, no?

[Mstr Caution]

Perhaps the 10% figure is being confused with forward bookings down 10% over christmas. Then again, perhaps the two figures are in fact linked.

[SkyScanner]

BA was looking at grounding some of their 744s because of the financial crisis but determined it was too expensive to have them lay idle.

There were strong rumours back when SARS was on that Qf were going to downsize 200 pilots but nothing ever came of this.

[rammel]

I have noticed that there seems to be a lot more 737-800's on the MEL-SYD route. Whether this is because of the schedule internationally being stretched at the moment, because we have one A330 and one 744 out of service at the moment, I don't know.

If they do park anything I'd say it would be the early B737-400's, or send them to Jetconnect to replace the B737-300 and get rid of those. Or once the other two aircraft are back in the schedule and we are also getting more A330-200's (I think) perhaps the ZX 767's will be put out to pasture.

I don't think the fleet will be reduced in numbers, just won't grow. When a new 737-800, A330 or A380 arrives they will retire something.

[Angle of Attack]

Yeah there is a lot of 737-800's appearing because they are still arriving! Eventually the classics will all go, a few years I would say.

[QF22]

G'day slight thread drift but couldn't find original thread.
I taxied past VH-OJK in MNL the other night. Area below Door 2R looks all ok now, but engines all blanked up?
Anybody know how long before it's back in service?

[ampclamp]

cant help with the RTS but this is the merged thread.
http://www.pprune.org/d-g-reporting-points/336525-merged-qantas-decompression-19.html

[Led Zeppelin]

QF planned reductions seem to mirror planned expansion by JQ. Examples are Perth - Cairns and Perth - Adelaide. I think both are QF 737's until the changeover to JQ A320's.

JQ is also looking at Broome and Ayers Rock.

[QF22]

Thanx ampclamp I will wait for an answer here or there. Cheers !

[Going Boeing]

QF22, I believe that the Manager Technical is going to Manila some time this week to carry out the test flying on OJK (full Boeing pre-delivery test flight) and if it passes, it will come back to Sydney straight away.

Fleet reductions that Dixon has announced in the past have actually been planned retirements and replacements with no reduction in capacity. This has just been to scare staff and unions to undemine their bargaining power. Planned retirements include:- 4 B743's to be replaced by A380's, 4 B763's to be replaced by A332's (domestic config) & all B734's to be replaced by B738's (+ approx 20 additional). If we see more retirements than that, then we are looking at a genuine reduction in capacity.

I don't know what Jetstar are going to do with 100 more A320's on order when loads are dropping and no aircraft due for retirement.

[QF22]

Ok thanx GB !
I also noticed a J* A330 in the hangar in MNL.
You say A332s replacing B767s in domestic ops? I would have thought all A332s would have gone to J* due B787 delays.
Cheers !

[Capt Kremin]

The A330's cannot replace the 767 on domestic routes due to the lack of sufficient gates (and airframes) to do so. There are currently 6 A330-200s flying with J* and soon to be 6 -200's flying with QF. Only two of those aircraft would be readily convertible to the J* configuration, the others are in QF LH configuration with Skybeds.
If the 787 is truly going to be delayed until 2011 then some interesting decisions will soon need to be made. One could almost guage the Boards belief in the J* Intl model by what it will do over the next 12 months. If it really wants J* International to expand it will have to source additional A330's from somewhere. If they come from QF then the die will be set. If they don't act then it may indicate a lack of enthusiasm for expanding J* Intl. Interesting times indeed.

[zonker]

From someone who is very close to the top - they are looking to sell/dispose of all the A330s from the entire Qantas group.

[jetjockey7]

To do this you will need to find some fairly good replacement.
The A330s are also the youngest aircrat in the fleet.
The classics are ancient.
The 767s are also long in the tooth.
Wouldnt replacing/retiring older gas guzzling aircraft be more prudent?

[Going Boeing]

Simple really - all B767's and all A330's are to be replaced by B787's. No great mystery there. The classics are already being phased out and are being replaced by A380's.

[Little_Red_Hat]

Wouldn't be trying to get rid of them because of the recent events with the Airbus????

[A. Le Rhone]

recent events?
What about the 737's where the rudder hardovers caused 3 to crash? What about 747's where internal components seem to explode (TWA fuel tanks, oxy bottles?

[packrat]

When these things arrive.....around 2012!!

[another superlame]

The way Boeing and the Dreamliner are going this could be the end of the big B. 900 planes sold , minimum 2 year delay, the first ones is yet to fly and prove all its systems on the ground as well.

In theory it was a good idea, but reality is proving to be a nightmare. And to top it off they must have lost heaps of cash with the strike.

Maybe airbus will capitalise on another Boeing mistake to become the major manufacturer

[Redstone]

And maybe a global recession and downturn in the airline industry will give Boeing the breathing space it needs.

[Jabawocky]

Boeing were cashed up and still are.

The strike while very costly is a valid excuse to get out of some penalties as it went past 42 days or whatever the number is.

The B787 is no later than the A380.........and I think it will do better overall.

The current downturn will probably work in their favour, and the chances are they will be better placed because of it. As odd as that sounds.:ooh:

J:ok:

[rammel]

There was an article here on Ben Sandilands blog Plane Talking (http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/page/3/?source=cmailer) re the 787 and Boeing not being fully frank about it's delay. So going off the reasoning that it hasn't yet flown, and doesn't look like it will anytime soon, the end of 2010 may be the earliest delivery.

[Romulus]

The strike while very costly is a valid excuse to get out of some penalties as it went past 42 days or whatever the number is.

Only if they can demonstrate that the strike is the principal and primary cause of the delay. Key part of contract law otherwise companies could take the course of triggering a strike by whatever means necessary and blaming that every time they got into schedule/programme trouble.

Odds are the weight of evidence, including Boeing's own press releases, would be strong enough to counter that line of argument I would suggest.

[Jabawocky]

Yes but the two months plus getting going again will be out of the equation.

Never said it would get them out of the poo for any other issues.

J

[Reeltime]

Qantas group getting rid of A330's? Not likely, the opposite in fact...if they could get their hands on more of them they would.

Why would they get rid of fuel efficient twins? When the 787 will turn up is anyones guess.

Mainline need 330's and so does Jetstar...and so does every other airline waiting on Dreamliners.