In Charge of the Field Trip Charter

by Split Scimitar

Preamble

A lot has happened since last we met, so let me give you a recap:

From the meeting in Atlanta, I am absorbing some of Delta’s financial losses by purchasing all of their Boeing aircraft. Their plan for the long run is to move to an all-Airbus fleet. In line with that, my end of the deal involves purchasing not only all their Boeing aircraft, but also aid in, meaning purchase, new Airbus aircraft for them. Their fully condensed fleet plan is as follows:

Airbus A220-100.
Airbus A220-300.
Airbus A321-200 Sharklet.
Airbus A321neo.
Airbus A330-300.
Airbus A330-900neo.
Airbus A350-900.

You’ll notice that there are a few Airbus types that are missing. Gaps left behind by the A319 and A320 will be filled by the A220-300 and A321-200 respectively. The much-lauded A321neo fills in the massive gap left behind by the legendary 757.

In the wide body department, the A330-900neo will cover the gap left behind with the retirement of the A330-200 as well as the 767-300ER. You may recall that the -400ER are already in my possession, retired at about the same time as United retired theirs. This means that, like I mentioned awhile ago, only one 767-400ER remains in official service, and it’s the one with the Bahraini government. The -400ER kind of falls under the A330-900neo umbrella, but for argument’s sake, it and the 757-300 per the airline’s records have no official replacement.

Delta’s fleet of 737 aircraft spans the -700, -800, and -900ER. Due to the age of the former two, those are lower priority in terms of leases, with priority given to the especially young -900ER. In fact, I might just convert the -700 and -800 into freighters to make them a bit more attractive for the future.

The much-beloved 777. The one that put Delta in the long haul realm (long before the merger with Northwest, who had themselves operated the 747), will be replaced by the A350-900. Special to Delta and to me is that 10 of the 18 they operated were the very rare 777-200LR, which was, at the time of their introduction, the longest-range civilian airplane in the world. Their reason for retiring these? Same as the 757. They may be great aircraft and are undoubtedly fan favorites, but they burn quite a lot of fuel.

The Boeing retirements and replacements are as follows:
737-700 - replaced by A220-300.
737-800 - replaced by A321-200.
737-900ER - replaced by A321neo.
757-200 - replaced by A321neo.
767-300ER - replaced by A330-900neo.
777-200ER - replaced by A330-900neo.
777-200LR - replaced by A350-900.

Just in case there any gaps:
A220-100 - replacing MD-88, MD-90, 717-200.
A220-300 - replacing A319, 737-700.
A321-200 - replacing A320, 737-800.
A321neo - replacing 737-900ER, 757-200.
A330-900neo - replacing 767-300ER, 777-200ER.
A350-900 - replacing A330-200, 777-200LR.

To simplify the terms of the deal, let me outline who receives what.

I receive:
All A319-100.
All A320-200.
All A330-200.
21 out of 31 A330-300.
All 737-700.
All 737-800.
All 737-900ER.
All 757-200.
All 757-300.
All 767-300ER.
All 777-200ER.
All 777-200LR.

Delta receives:
48 additional A220-100.
34 additional A220-300.
11 additional A321-200, plus 60 options.
11 additional A321neo, plus 60 options.
15 additional A330-900neo, plus 35 options.
11 additional A350-900, plus 40 options.

Those A321neo actually replace 11 757’s that were configured for the exclusive use of NBA charters. Their original A321neo order covers the “civilian” 757.

What do all of the following types that Delta is retiring have in common: A319, A320, A330-200, some A330-300, some 757-200, and all the 757-300?

Northwest.

Yes, as I assist Delta in their transition to an all-Airbus fleet, I receive their Boeing aircraft and also all of the aircraft that were in service with Northwest prior to the merger. How did I achieve this oddly specific stipulation? Simple, I made the case that these were among the oldest in the fleet, and to further persuade them, I gave a financial estimate to demonstrate quid pro quo. In essence, the value of the “Northwesters” would be applied to the Airbuses I am purchasing for them, and the options then cover the value of the Boeing aircraft. Basically, it’s a large-scale trade-in in car terms. It’s very likely they’ll exercise those options, as the aggregate value is pretty close to the total appraisal value of what I receive.

As part of such a deal, I made only one stipulation for Delta: because the phasing will be very gradual, and because it’s understood that the decline in air travel is going to last awhile, all of the A220, A321-200, and A321neo must be produced at the Airbus factory in Mobile, Alabama.

Between you and me, there is a bit of punchline in that stipulation.

“Frenchies, not from France.”

As only the A220 and A320 family are manufactured in Mobile, the A330neo and A350 I will provide are the only Airbuses to come from Europe.

Aside from the lame joke, I also believe in supporting American jobs. Simple as that.

The MD-88 and MD-90 I received from Delta are in the process of being converted into freighters. While there are much more payload-oriented airplanes out there currently in use, the Mad Dog freighters focus on the short hops, in attempts to alleviate some of the stress and cycles accumulated on the long-range aircraft. These aircraft were built for quick turnarounds as well as commuters, and theoretically can move the same amount of cargo per day as a bigger mainline aircraft, but across more airports. This may sound counterintuitive, but at least in places like Southern California, where road traffic is absolutely horrendous most times of the day, working these Angry Puppies on the short hops could alleviate some of the road traffic for ground transport, or at the very least, help speed up the process of local deliveries. It may cost a bit more in fuel and maintenance, but it can be a help to delivery drivers who work extremely and excessively long hours. Plus, I know there are a few Mad Dog fans who would love to keep them in the air, even if it’s pushing parcel. Well, at least, that’s how I would utilize them.

The 717 is special to me because it marks the end of the McDonnell Douglas civilian era. As such, I don’t have plans to convert them to freighters or lease them out, since airlines don’t want them. Hawaiian as I said before is one of only two carriers operating them. The other operator is QantasLink, who run primarily niche commuter routes. Perfect for the sparsely placed cities throughout the country.

Since the retirement process is occurring in installments, I can expect to have plenty of space available at any of my three airports. Gusty Garden is about the size of O’Hare, so I can park quite a lot of aircraft there. Victorville is my only viable option for long-term parking in California, as March would require parking on taxiways or even a runway. I don’t have too many aircraft now, but once I start leasing out the MD-series’ especially, I know I’ll have more than enough space to accommodate Delta’s incoming retirees.

The next type on the chopping block after the 757 is the A320. Since these are pre-merger Northwest planes, two of them will be specially selected to be painted in the two liveries they adorned prior to Delta. One is the livery that made Northwest famous, “Bowling Shoe”. The other is sometimes referred to as simply the “silver,” but for humorous and visually obvious reasons, I call it “nwa.”

Perfectly, two A320’s are registration oddballs. They do not end in either “US” or “NW.” The shoe fits on N375NC; and N350NA, is the Northwest With Attitude.

Now, onto the current subject matter. I have a hire!