Originally Posted by
Superpilot92
It always make me giggle that you DAL guys always leave out the part about you parking planes and that the md80s are just as at risk as our dc9s.
According to ICAO data, the DC9-30 has an average fuel burn of 904 gph, and carries about 100 pax. The MD80 has a burn of 791 gph, carries 142 passengers, and has a range of 2500 miles. The MD90 carries 156 pax, with a 3000 mile range, and an average burn of 621 gph.
The MD88s/90s are also much newer, which translates to a much lower maintenance expense per block hour. In other words, although DC9s and MD88s look similar, they're very different.
I think the economics of the DC9 are rapidly heading south, and that's one of the biggest things I'm afraid of with this deal.