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Wine may get better with age, but airplanes don't. And that's a problem for US carriers, which operate some of the oldest fleets in the world. Younger planes are more fuel efficient, which puts US-based airlines at a huge disadvantage when compared with foreign competitors.
There's no getting around the fact that the the fleets of US airlines are on the old side. On average, American
Airlines' planes have seen 15 years in the sky, United's 14, and Northwest's 11. Post 9/11, US airlines had their hands full just trying to stay in business, but when they finally emerged from that downturn, they called in orders for hundreds of new jets. Continental and Northwest lined up for Boeing's sleek and green new 787. US Airways shopped for shiny new Airbus widebodies to fuel its international expansion, and American was said to be mulling a replacement for it's rapidly aging MD80 single aisle fleet.
But high fuel prices and the resulting capacity cuts have put many of these plans into question. JetBlue and Airtran have deferred delivery of new planes, and an Airbus executive admitted that the company is expecting more. When an airline like American cuts its schedule by over 10 percent and and sends 85 planes to that big parking lot in the sky, you've got to think that fleet renewal falls off the top of its to-do list.
In the meantime, foreign airlines are ordering up a storm. Air France is waiting on 14 A380 superjumbos, 18 777s, and 20 A320s, while Dubai-based Emirates has a stunning 242 planes on order. Aircraft renewal yields younger fleets: Air France's planes have an average age of 8.8 years, and
Emirates' a downright youthful 6.2 years old.
Is this really such a big deal? Absolutely. The Department of
Transportation estimates that the Boeing 767, a plane that began service in 1982, burns an average of $17.85 per passenger per hour, while a newer A330 burns $15.72. The newer the fleet, the lower the fuel bill. The lower the fuel bill, the lower the total cost of operations.
One myth that needs to be debunked, though, is that aging planes are less safe. Even with its older fleets and recent high-profile events like the grounding of American's MD80s, the US industry has an excellent safety record.
But even that comes with a price. Because their planes are older, US
airlines often find themselves spending more on parts and maintenance.
Photo by Airbus
