gloopy

Its funny how Boeing claims the NEO will "close the gap" when in fact it will blow the existing 737 away. So they vaguely promise improved benefits over the NEO simply because it is new. I'm not sure that is going to cut it. If AB can nail the 15% Boeing IMHO will have a very hard time significantly improving that. A percent or two isn't going to be the deal breaker for anyone, no matter how much fuel is. Boeing will have to come hard with at least 5% additional percent just to be taken seriously, and probably 10% or more to really give it the edge. Things like mega high cycle life won't be nearly as big of a player as fuel efficiency as I don't think anyone orders planes naymore thinking they will last 40-50 years. Those days are over. And of course they have no clue about common flight decks much less ergonomics, nor do they care. You will worship them just because they are Boeing and you will like it. That is their attitude. Maybe they will conviene another blue ribbon panel and make it with an even bigger yoke.

Is it possible for Boeing to out do Airbus on this? Sure. But will they? And without messing it up like the 787? And just how long should those customers "wait for us" anyway? If the NEO can stick to its time frame and/or be early (plausable) and the new Boeing is late again (plausable) then best case for Boeing is a lot of operators will order the NEO, get a decade or so out of them with high fuel prices and common fleets, and wait in the wings to see if the 797 ever really flies, does what it claims and gets the bugs worked out of it.

Airbus is in a very good situation with the NEO compared to anything Boeing has or can dream up in the narrowbody range. OTOH, Boeing has a great opportunity to stomp hard on the throat of Airbus if they can do the passenger 747-800 right. It wouldn't take that many future order diversions to put the 380 program into a permanent ROI tailspin.

NuGuy

To replace a DC-9, you need another DC-9. Just the way it works.

New Rumor: Heard that SWA wants to spin off the 717s before the merger, and DAL wants the 717s. Deal might be in the works to take the whole fleet off their hands, plus the extra 25 that Boeing is sitting on.

This big a divestiture of a fleet would trigger AAIs fragmentation clause, and their pilots would have the opportunity to go with the airplanes.

Get yer merger fund checkbooks ready...

Nu

Flamer

I like the way they continually remind me they ARE doing something instead of the results speaking for themselves.

groundstop

Seems pretty far fetched. Not the fact that SWA wants to get rid of them, but the fact that they would get transferred (or sold) to DAL.

FedElta

Hey Nu,
If SWA divested the 717's, what would the post SOC AAI guys fly ? If they came to DAL, they would go to the bottom ; if they went to SWA they would take SLI position and much better pay etc......what am I missing in this improbable situation ? Does DAL have 737's/ positions to swap for the 717's ?

Regards,
BG

8CherryGarcia

Sorry Nu,

I say debunked with one call to a pretty well placed source there.

Not to say we won't end up with them, but it won't be as direct as you suggest.

And as others have pointed out...why would they?

8

forgot to bid

a 3rd of that 2/3rds is the blueprints.

gloopy

Even if true, couldn't that be circumvented very easily by taking those planes a few at a time rather than all on one day? That would seem to be the way SWA and DL would want it anyway. SWA so they could have time to replace 717's as they left on a controllable schedule with 737's, and DL for similar training/new fleet issues (and yes, its a "9" but it is still very much a new fleet/bid category...zero chance of commonality with the 88/90 unless they "dumbed down" the glass ala SWA) but in any case, 86 jets transferred al at once would decimate SWA's acquisition. The slots, gates and routes they got AT for in the first place would evaporate. They obviously would do it on a much more controlled (and slower) pace. A pace that probably would not trigger their fragmentation clause.

Barrel Man

You can find them in the DC9 fleet page, click on the LMS link. After logged into LMS, go to Catalog/DC9 catalog/DC9 initial qual...there is a tab in the index of that module that allows you to view the exterior preflight slides.

DeadHead

Probably don't want to know the answer to this, but what is a fragmentation clause???

I'm thinking it has something to do with breaking the hopes and dreams of a number of junior DAL DC9/M88 FOs into fragments.
But, I could be wrong.