Why do Airlines in the United States have outdated unimpressive fleets?

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potatochip

The international airlines make more money right now than the US carriers. Also some of the airlines such as Northwest and Continental have ordered new aircraft such as the 787.

You must understand that it is expensive for American to replace all the MD-83 aircraft since they have so many. They are gradually doing it with the 737-800. But the US carriers have a much larger fleet as opposed to the foreign carriers.

Right now the US carriers are implementing more regional jets since the flying public prefers more frequent flights such 10 flights to one city per day instead of 5. Also the regional jets are less expensive to operate.

curiously_satisfying

if you think thats bad then you've never flown east indian air

G Dogg

New aircraft are extremely expenisive. Price for a CRJ-700 Regional aircraft (70 seats) cost over $22 Million dollars brand new. The majority of American based airlines arn't doing as well as forgein airlines. Therefore the USA based carriers can't afford to upgrade their fleets all at one time. They like to do it plane by plane.

alan m

What should they do with these airplanes. ? Dump them ?Thats the problem. They work. Compared to some/many airliines these afre not outdated at all.

Bill and Gin C

Aviation in general is older here than anywhere else. Never-the-less, we maintain our equipment in such a way that age is not as much a factor. ALL major components are replaced or rebuilt religously on a regular basis according to a specific schedule outlined in ATA chapter 5, and Every aircraft has an Airworthiness Limitations document which has specific times or cycles each component may endure before it is MANDATORY it be replaced. I am an A&P with IA. Believe me these thing are VERY closely regulated. No other industry in the world is more closely regulated except for the U.S. nuclear industry.

grumpy geezer

They're paid for!

Kevin

NWA took their DC-10's off line but OK I'll give you credit for NWA and go one further with, wow they still fly DC9's, but replacing a 767 with a much smaller 737 with 30% fewer seats and a shaky ETOPS time seems sort of silly.

Robert C

all I fly on is Continental, they have the "youngest fleet" of planes.

John

I'll agree completely with you about American and NWA, but I think the United fleet is rather nice. All of their long-haul flights are on 747s, 767s, and 777s, with updated seating being installed in the upper two cabins. They're also phasing out some of their older domestic planes, and replacing them with newer 757s, A319s, and A320s. So I don't think it's fair to put them below Aeroflot =]

nutwpinut

You are comparing international airline fleets vs USA airlines with large domestic fleets. You should compare the same fleets. For international flights American Airlines use 777 and 767-300.

International routes are much more profitable than domestic routes. This puts USA domestic airlines at a disadvantage vs. Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Quantas, or British Airways where most of their flights are international flights with a much higher profit margin.

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