Another US B-747 Freighter Fleet Gone
 

Delta to Ground 14 Freighters


JOC Staff | Apr 21, 2009 5:13PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

Former Northwest 747 fleet falls victim to rising costs, falling Asia trade


Delta Air Lines will ground its entire fleet of 14 747 freighters as it addresses big losses and a steep decline in cargo business, the airline said Tuesday.
The aircraft, long operated by Northwest Airlines before Northwest merged with Delta late last year, had been a backbone of trans-Pacific shipping and the last substantial freighter operation mounted by any American passenger airline.
Delta said in a report on the first quarter that included a $794 million net loss that it will ground the freighters “due to the fleet’s age and inefficiency.”
The 747-200s had made Northwest the United States’ largest freight carrier among passenger airlines for years, but Delta said in its first quarter report that cargo revenue declined 44 percent from the same quarter a year ago. Delta and Northwest combined counted $331 million in cargo revenue in the first quarter of 2008 and just $185 million this year.
The 747-200s are markedly less fuel efficient and more costly to operate than the newer 747-400s that fill Pacific trade lanes, but Northwest had put off decisions on whether to modernize or scale back the fleet for several years because it was picking up business to and from Asia.
With Asia exports retreating sharply over the past year, however, the diminished demand threw the aircraft into a far harsher operating light.
Cargo traffic at Northwest reported to the U.S. Department of Transportation this year was down 48 percent on Pacific lanes, the heart of the freighter operation.
Delta did not give a timetable for when it will pull the freighters from service.

According to a lengthy thread on another forum, the freighters will be
gone as of Dec 31, 2009. This is really not a big surprise as they had already announced the ANC pilot base would be closed and that the B742s would not
be transferred over to the new Single operating certificate.

Is this due to the loss of the NW contract with DHL to Polar?

Nitty -
 

According to NWA crews, it was Delta's decision not to convert any -400s (even though I believe that was NWA's original plan when retiring the -200's) and get out of the freighter business. Too much investment for the short term return and the huge drop in NRT cargo.

thats a shame those old 200's be plying the asian skies for over 20 years, sure they will head to the desert, let hope they get a second life in the next boom!

Anyone know what type of motors are on those -200's. If they are CF6-50's they are likely to get picked up by some operator.

7Q Pratts I believe

The "q" was a great motor but I am pretty sure it sucked more fuel than the GE, reliable powerfull motor though.

The Boeing website shows -200's with -7r4's. I have never seen a -200 with a -7r4, only Q's and JT9D-70's (rare).

Power
 

The NWA freighters have -7R Pratts. Very much like a "Q"

I always thought the 7R4G2 was used on the 300. It is indeed a great engine.

Southern Air Transport operated one 7R powered 200 and it had more power than the Qs that they had. Both great engines, but the leasing costs are higher than the GE.

NW bought an ex-Swissair B743 just to put the engines on its Freighters,
it may actually have been 2 aircraft. Thats why they have the 7R4G2s on some of the aircraft.

Regarding 747-200 freighters, even FedEx long ago discarded theirs, after they purchased FlyingTiger.
It is not surprising that Delta wants to rid themselves of these older airplanes.
Will they be used again?

Doubtful, in my opinion, as the freight market will take quite sometime to recover and....the 747-200 is simply too large for many markets.

747-400 freighter?
These will be in much greater demand on the freight upturn, but even these will be eclipsed eventually by the 777F.
You simply cannot disregard twin engine economics (versus 4-engine) in the longer term.

We operated one -200 with an R motor.

"Regarding 747-200 freighters, even FedEx long ago discarded theirs, after they purchased FlyingTiger.
It is not surprising that Delta wants to rid themselves of these older airplanes.
Will they be used again?

Doubtful, in my opinion, as the freight market will take quite sometime to recover and....the 747-200 is simply too large for many markets.

747-400 freighter?
These will be in much greater demand on the freight upturn, but even these will be eclipsed eventually by the 777F.
You simply cannot disregard twin engine economics (versus 4-engine) in the longer term".

411A,

You might want to call and let the marketing people at Boeing in on your obvious keen insight. I am sure they will re-think the -8 program after your conversation. You show me on paper how you are going to haul 120 tonnes of freight across the pond in a 777F. Can't do it! :ugh:

Other than niche market requirements for nose loaders (such as Atlas), industry trend seems to be moving the other way . . Pax carriers, FedEx, Luffty (Lufthansa Cargo), and others don't agree . . . not even a super big 747f (the scarebus 380f) had found significant demand.
I applaud the 747-8, but also expect that they will prove to be the last of the "two engine on one wing" aviation era. . . . . for profitable quirky economic long haul, expect for the 777f to eventually kick pants.

As for a soon to be freight market recovery. . . . . Other than the progressing population bomb, and with nothing to reverse today's job loss, what magic potion out there will break such a spell?

More war.

It's a big business you know.

And those C-5s seem to be used quite sparingly these days.

Govt contracts are easy money.

Welcome to the new economy where we don't produce anything--we just blow it up.

:hmm:

I vote that we go to war with Venezuela!!

I don't actually want to blow anything up down there, just occupy the place for a while.

The pros;
It is close to home.
Spanish is easy to learn.
The girls are really hot.
The weather is nice.
We would keep our tax dollars in the Western hemisphere.
Great food and beer.

Old -200's
 

Why do Americans never invest in the future by staying up to date fleet wise?

The number of old, fuel guzzling clunkers seen at US airports (both on the freight and pax apron) never seizes to amaze me.

Because
 

We are to worried about the next quarter and raiding the employee retirement plans. I thought everyone knew this.
:sad: