Originally Posted by
forgot to bid
ACL,
I don't doubt ATL 777 might move out completely, but couldn't the size of ATL 777 and DTW 777 be flipped vs closing ATL 777?
I ask, because what else would do a route like ATL-NRT?
FWIW 777 routes (by my best count, I might be missing some):
ATL-DTW
ATL-LAX
ATL-DXB
ATL-JNB
ATL-NRT
DTW-ICN
DTW-PVG
DTW-PEK
DTW-HKG
NRT-HKG
NRT-SIN
NRT-TPE
NRT-ATL
NRT-MSP
MSP-NRT
LAX-SYD
NRT is going back tot he 744. That really leaves JND and DXB. DXB just went to a 24 hr layo.
I too find it hard to fathom them closing the 777 base in ATL, but I am not the one that started the discussion. I heard what Scambo heard, and from different people. It is more about diversifying our flying and moving things out of the ATL basket from what I was told. It has to do with the way the City of Atlanta played with the renegotiation of our leases, or so the story goes.
From what I could gather, and I did not ask too many questions, it was not going to be immediate. For that reason alone, I bet ti never happens. From what I hear there will be more seats pulled on the next bid. The 777 is doing MSP-NRT and similar markets. Its not that they are parking anything, they are just moving stuff around to maximize its benefit.
As for DTW and LAX from ATL on the 777, those are position flights. Once they get most of the MTC up and running in DTW on the 777, those two flights may not be needed.
The back end of that rumor was more interesting to me anyway. Go search what Scambo posted. That is the part that got me to respond, not that it was leaving ATL, it was what the long term plans were. (Long meaning five years)
I also took this as a purposeful leak. One that is to get out to certain people or organizations, not pilots, but airlines and airport boards. Its a message.