Originally Posted by
Timbo
The other advantage of the 777LR is it's range. We did the math the other night and we came up with about 20-21 hours with full fuel (330,000lbs). Of course if you're full of fuel you're not full of cargo and pax too, that's why it's usually "Load Optimized" coming out of Joburg.
Some nights it's 17 hours flying time (plus alternate fuel, etc.) and the field elevation at JNB is 5,500, which is 300 feet higher than DEN. The most fuel I've had on board is 310,000, only because it was snowing in ATL (a year ago Jan.) I've never seen them fill it all the way up with fuel. BUT I have seen the note, "Must burn fuel to get down to max T/O wt."
The 777 is a "range" airplane, whereas the 747 is an "Uplift" airplane. If you need tons of stuff, and 400 pax, moved a shorter range (12-14 hours), use the 747. If instead you have less pax, and some cargo, but it needs to go a lot further, non-stop (16-17 hrs.) use the 777.
Ding Ding Ding.
Every jet has its fit, some are more versatile than others. The network guys got a woody when they saw the insane portfolio of types they would get to play with when the fleets were merged. For some routes or flying and at the right price point just about any jet can be profitable.
The 777-200LR is a niche aircraft. It was made for ULH flying and it has no equal on those routes.
The 747-400 and 777-300ER are bread and butter aircraft that can cover 80-90% of the Long-Haul flying.
Delta has no jet between 300 and 400 seats, that a much to large gap, and I expect it to be filled. Having a jet that fits that sweet spot and also carries boatloads of cargo makes the 777-300ER inevitable.
There is a dark side to the 777-300ER when it comes to Delta pilots...
Should it be used on transatlantic routes, it would count as about two 7ERs from an EASK standpoint. That means that when Delta finally gets around to fix the production balance gap, the 777-300ER could do it with half the pilots required diluting the upside potential for pilot jobs...
Basically all this time we've been looking at the AFKLM pilots being "hopping mad" will bite us when Delta gets that jet, after all, they've had it all along, and that's one of the reasons the block hours currently work in our favor...
BTW: Last year AMR began the year with an order for two 777-300ERs but ended the year with a total of nine 777-300ER on the books...
And just a reminder with all this 717 and 777 speculation -- aircraft orders aren't a contract item. Delta will purchase the jets Delta wants.
If Delta needs unlimited 76+ seaters right now Delta can have that right now,
with Delta pilots at the controls.
Cheers
George