Daily A380 from MEL-LHR/LAX .. Whats the 744's doing now?

[Carlous Moochous]

Now that Qantas have the A380 daily out of MEL to LAX and LHR and the four times a week SYD - HKG what is happening with the 747 capacity that's just opened up.. Are these birds going straight to retirement from the fleet or will they be used elsewhere first? Once they drop the continuations of BKK/HKG - LHR there is going to surely be a few planes with no work. Is this part of an accelerated 747 retirement plan ?

 

[NM]

The 747 fleet is being reduced through retirements.

 

[markis10]

They are also being refitted, those that have been done typically have a major service in china before hand which makes the whole process take almost three months. OJN retired last month and is sitting in Victorville waiting sale while even some of the old two classes birds are also due for sale

OJG is listed as for sale available from 09/2012
OJH is listed as for sale available from 10/2012
OJJ is listed as for sale available from 04/2013

 

[harvyk]

Some are being retired, others are being deployed on other routes.

 

[Carlous Moochous]

thanks guys.. I knew they were retiring them, didnt realise how quickly the actually retirements have come up.

 

[markis10]

Dont think they are in too much of a hurry to get rid of them, the market has died, OJR has been waiting a new owner for some time now as has OJK:

Photos: Boeing 747-438 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net
[url]http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-(Qantas)/Boeing-747-438/1839085/&sid=a0f47ca856ead9ec3f11a50dce67308a
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[medhead]

Just out of pure fantasy, what sort of coin are we talking about for one of these second hand?

 

[The Rok]

Dunno, but I doubt we will see them on www.carsales.com.au

I guess they are still worth $20 - $40 million?

I remember watching a documentary on the dismantling and recycling of these planes and the figures quoted were into the millions just for the scrap value alone. A coffee maker from the first class galley was still worth $5k.

 

[medhead]

Matches my guess. So definitely need Bill Gates money to have one as a private jet. Or maybe Oprah money would scrape by....

 

[The Rok]

Or you could try CBA Equipment Finance? Could struggle with the valuation though.

I would think the annual running costs are more than the purchase cost.