philidor
in service - 6 years
Posts: 8,950
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Post by philidor on Oct 16, 2014 0:53:56 GMT 1
FR among others has been successfully flipping aircraft for years. The future may of course be quite different from the past, especially if interest rates rise and fuel plummets.
Without even factoring in any growth rate, if you flip your narrowbodies every 5 years, a fleet of 80 requires 16 to 17 new deliveries per year, or 160 to 170 in ten years. With the same policy, it takes a fleet of 125 to take 25 deliveries per year.
In a booming market like India, a fleet of 125 narrowbodies might be a reasonable goal for IndiGo.
The only question is : if other airlines do just the same, will the second-hand market absorb all frames at the expected price ?
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s543
in service - 2 years
Posts: 3,959 
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Post by s543 on Oct 16, 2014 10:34:22 GMT 1
Well if we compare with FR - much larger carrier with 299 738s - their average age is more then twice 5,7 years.
They still have dozens of planes over 12 years of age. They never took a single new plane for over 2 years. They had some ACMI help during summer season.....
More fitting comparison would be Norwegian with 83 738s and if we forget other 8 almost twenty years old 733 their 738 fleet is 3,4 years - but they do not get rid of older frames (yet) they just grow.
Easyjet with 199 planes and 5.5 years is more similar to FR.
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philidor
in service - 6 years
Posts: 8,950
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Post by philidor on Oct 16, 2014 11:35:05 GMT 1
Average is not always the best metric. FR has to manage a summer peak (vacations) demanding many planes, and a low winter season, when many planes are parked. Older frames are used in summer only, and parked the rest of the year, so FR cannot flip all its planes.
FR's business model may also have changed somewhat since they completed the purchase contract they signed with Boeing at the best moment, and thus lost some of they competitive advantage. Flipping aircraft requires a purchase price lower than market price. Maybe it is becoming more difficult than it used to be.
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s543
in service - 2 years
Posts: 3,959
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Post by s543 on Oct 16, 2014 18:38:16 GMT 1
Agreed Philidor. How ever the same is valid for ALL LCC operators here in EU.
We sea a lot of various Asian/Canadian planes in EU on summer leases for Charter vacation operators here in EU and vice-versa during winter EU birds fly for Canadian/US tour operators and some go to Middle-East or even Far-East.
I have no idea how it works in India. I know there are some Indian planes here in EU during summer on ACMI but just a few - so far I have registered only SpiceJet 738. If some go to India during winter I do not know.
How seasonal is the Indian market ?
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someone
in service - 1 year
Posts: 3,334
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Post by someone on Oct 20, 2014 9:00:11 GMT 1
Agreed Philidor. How ever the same is valid for ALL LCC operators here in EU. Not only LCCs, most or all carriers in Europa has rather significant seasonal fluctuations |
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Post by a380admirer on Nov 12, 2014 14:55:12 GMT 1
Today there was the next test flight. The flight pattern was very square for a long time. Maybe a problem with radar24! Or it was a special test! ![]() |
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Post by Jkkw on Nov 18, 2014 5:50:34 GMT 1
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XWB
in service - 11 years
Posts: 16,115
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Post by XWB on Nov 24, 2014 10:15:42 GMT 1
The first A320neo with Leap engines is undergoing assembly in TLS.
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philidor
in service - 6 years
Posts: 8,950
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A320neo
Nov 24, 2014 22:47:16 GMT 1
Post by philidor on Nov 24, 2014 22:47:16 GMT 1
That's a milestone, thank you XWB ! Have the engines already been delivered to the FAL, or is Airbus still expecting them ? I haven't seen pictures yet.
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XWB
in service - 11 years
Posts: 16,115
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Post by XWB on Nov 24, 2014 22:51:33 GMT 1
I haven't heard anything about the engines. I suppose GE will issue a press release when they ship the first engine to TLS, like P&W did.
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