Originally Posted by
Powderkeg
Caveat emptor…F9 guy here: I’ve been skeptical of the same thing at our airline. It’s exponentially harder to grow from 100 aircraft to 200 aircraft as it was to grow from 50 aircraft to 100. especially when you consider we (NK & F9) don’t own our airplanes. At some point lease expiration dates accelerate past the ability of the Airbus delivery capabilities and you/we become stagnant. I’m very uneasy selling potential new hires on the aspect of quick upgrade at this point.
Always cheaper to re-lease the aircraft to the original user than to repaint, redo interior, and convert aircraft to some other airlines configuration.
And it’s hardly like other airlines don’t lease aircraft:
https://airinsight.com/delta-confirm...ircraft-deals/
https://www.cdbaviation.aero/united-first-737max8/
https://www.aerotime.aero/27517-amer...eased-max-jets
https://www.reuters.com/article/sout...-idUSKBN28Q1KF
As of a month ago, over fifty percent of new airliners produced were being leased rather than owned by the airline flying them.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...er-2021-09-20/
And for that matter, even the airlines that “own” aircraft frequently purchased them through bond sales or have them “mortgaged” through certificate sales that use the aircraft themselves as collateral like this one for American:
https://www.fitchratings.com/researc...-bb-27-10-2021
So in actuality, NK leasing aircraft isn’t GREATLY different than most other major airlines. Can’t speak for F9, but I’d be surprised if it is very different either.