Whilst alliance is charter only the other 2 outfits that operate them are not. I also omitted the cost of buying fuel at outports, and not being able to carry full loads out of hot/high strips. I believe that Networks F100s were around 4.5 million landed in Oz with an Airworthy and D check, a bit more than a few months of E jet lease payments.

You are right, 4.5 million is a bit more than a few months worth of lease payments, but given the thread is about alliance's purchase of a bunch of jets for 15 million the comparison is a bit of a sideways one.

Nevertheless, 4.5 million ready to go is still about a 10th of what you would pay for a new jet so not a hugely different argument.

A new CF34-10 would come close to 4.5 mill I suspect..

the 717's only do 2-3 returns a day... same utilization as the f100, E190, 146...

why buy a CF34-10? when an engine is up for repair it is swapped for an overhauled engine, most are operated on a lease with a maintenance package which covers items like engines which are only replaced after a certain time, as the failure rate is so low there is no point buying one...

I don't know about the F100, but I am assuming it has the same issue as 717's, as soon as it gets a bit hot out, they struggle above about FL280, reducing efficiency and speed,
the 717 also has to have a software mod which increases thrust by about 3000lb per side to enable it to operate in the Pilbara when it gets hot..

I understand the attraction of buying a heap of cheap aircraft and replacing the current fleet before they hit D checks- but surely the F100's operated by Austrian air would have a truckload more cycles than the f100's operating in Australia... after all it is cycles that kills machines, not hours..
fleet upgrades often mean a more attractive operator... as an employer you wouldn't be happy if your employees were late to work because the bus you sent them wouldn't start... pretty soon you will start looking to the neighbor's and see their shiny new machine that starts first time every time, with no delays, higher capacity, shorter trip times, better comfort..

I understand how cut throat the aviation industry is, but everyone has to upgrade....