Buddy is a DAL A350 APD and he says that while the plane is cool, the program and day to day operation is a trainwreck. TBD if that is going to be an ongoing problem or just Entry Into Service problem.

 

If you go to the United Fleet Upgrade Status thread on airliners (which has commonality with the United Mainline Fleet webpage and the Flyertalk thread via the same folks maintaining both) multiple posters claim the 7 767’s are to be retired.

Will they? Eventually of course, but sooner or later? Time will tell.


We currently have 132 777/787 (92 777 and 40 787 for year end 2018). Minus the 18 777-300 that the leaves a 777 fleet of 74 to be replaced eventually. We have 45 A350 on order. If the 787 fleet grows to 75 as folks are predicting, that still leaves 12 more aircraft beyond the 350 order needed to match our current widebody fleet. Even more if we grow.

So I don’t think a decision has been made re the 350 as those airframes are certainly needed and the 350 provides capabilities that neither the -10 (in terms of range) or the -9 (in terms of seats) can match. It slots nicely between the -9/-10 in terms of seats and as a 777-200 replacement with some seat growth. (Delta has 306 seats in theirs but UAL traditionally isn’t as densely configured so say 290-300 seats for ours. Our 777-200’s will seat 276 once fully reconfigured and the 787-9 seats 252, the 787-10 is 318)

Interesting times ahead and at least it currently is about getting airframes instead of shrinking.

 

I don't see it on the upgrade page and that site was started by a high school kid who wants to be an airline CEO some day. It has proven to be accurate while Flyertalk is more of an airline-sniff rumor mill.

United management has not indicated those aircraft are slated for retirement, but stated that depending on demand as planes come up on heavy maintenance or the end of their leases UA has the option of giving the A/C back to the lessor, buying & keep flying it or using the aircraft for parts. As you said it is a matter of when.

Kirby just told a friend that the chances of UA getting A330s is 5% and A350s is 20%. Management is becoming more inclined to use 777Xs to fill the capacity/range niche while enjoying the benefits of not adding another fleet type.

 

I agree. The current oldest 777-200's will time out in the next 3-5 years. The first one built was 1994.

The 777-8 and -9 make a lot more sense than adding the A350's. Payload, range, seating capacity all match better than the A350's. And when we need to start replacing the -200's, the 777-8's will start to be available in significant numbers. Timing is everything.

 

Will they still come with that ridiculous contraption that forces you to eat a crew meal like a Neanderthal?

 

Jeez retiring 777s.... Time flies.

 

Imagine how Airbus feels:

First two retired A380 superjumbos to be broken up for parts

 

Looks like Air France is considering a reduction in their A380 fleet.....more bad news for Air Bus

From a Flight Global Article...........

Air France considers A380 fleet reduction

23 NOVEMBER, 2018 SOURCE: FLIGHT DASHBOARD BY: MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
Air France is evaluating a reduction of its Airbus A380 fleet as the carrier is preparing a cabin refurbishment programme for the widebody type.

French news outlet Les Echos has reported that the airline decided not to renew the leases for two of its five leased A380s, and to return the pair to their owners in 2019. The article suggests that the other three leased aircraft will also gradually leave the fleet.

Flight Fleets Analyzer data shows that the Paris-based airline has 10 A380s, half of which are owned by the airline.

The SkyTeam carrier tells FlightGlobal that discussions are ongoing about the "current size" of its A380 fleet, but declines to provide detail about its fleet plans.

It neither confirmed nor denied the Les Echos report.

Air France says that in 2020 it will begin a cabin refurbishment programme for its A380s. The project was agreed under Air France-KLM’s former chief executive Jean-Marc Janaillac – who resigned in May – and will include installation of full-flat seats.

Such seats have been available on other Air France long-haul aircraft for several years, while the carrier’s A380s were equipped with a previous seat design that reclines to an angled position.

Air France’s A380s were built between 2009 and 2014, Analyzer shows. The airline had originally ordered 12 A380s, but swapped commitments for the last two aircraft to A350s.

 

Amazing.

Also, the first six 787s are either parked (on display as museum pieces) or about to be scrapped for having “no commercial value.” Part is because they were used for testing and development, but also the early (first seven?) airplanes needed added material (weight) on the wing roots due to failing the static-load test.

As I recall, it was several thousand pounds of reinforcement, and JAL was trying to get Boeing to compensate them for that.

https://thepointsguy.com/news/early-...eing-scrapped/

 

https://m.gulf-times.com/story/61371...rops-a-huge-86

Maybe Emirates might be interested in selling some 777’s