Early Retirement due to COVID-19

[Greg Hyde]

A large number of Airlines are reviewing their fleets and are retiring some aircraft types due to COVID-19.

Virgin Atlantic have retired (for scrapping) all their A340s

BA has started to reduce their B747 numbers

American has retired B752, B763, A333, E190 and CRJ200 types

Delta

MD Douglas MD88 49967 2037 N911DE Delta Air Lines ferried 29apr20 ATL-BYH, for part-out & scrap (+ 53266/1859 N979DL, + 53342/1939 N990DE, + 49536/1348 N905DL )
MD Douglas MD90-30 53462 2149 N934DN Delta Air Lines ferried 30apr20 ATL-BYH, for part-out & scrap ( +53530/2222 N960DN, + 53532/2253 N962DN) ex HB-JIF
MD Douglas MD90-30 53584 2203 N922DX Delta Air Lines ferried 30apr20 ATL-BYH, for part-out & scrap (+ 53588/2248 N926DH) ex B-2258

[Greg Hyde]

Air Canada Sends 79 Planes Into Early Retirement

In the release of its first-quarter results on May 4th, Air Canada announced that it would be sending 79 planes into early retirement. Boeing 767s, Airbus A319s, and Embraer 190s will exit the fleet. This will see a drawdown of most of the Air Canada Rouge fleet.

https://simpleflying.com/air-canada-early-retirement/

[Greg Hyde]

Virgin Atlantic will retire (early) its remaining B747 aircraft.

[MarkR]

Interestingly KLM have reactivated their 747 combis, which suddenly make a lot of sense.

[Greg Hyde]

Boeing 747 -41R 28757 1117 G-VAST Virgin Atlantic Airways ferried 01may20 LGW-MAN for storage (+ 30885/1268 G-VROS 05may20 LHR-MAN)

Boeing 747 -443 32340 1277 G-VROY Virgin Atlantic Airways ferried 07may20 LHR-GLA, last company 747 for storage

[David Knudsen]

It's interesting seeing American and Air Canada removing E190s given they only have an average age of 12 years, I imagine smaller aircraft for thinner routes may be the norm for the near future - are the 190s not holding up as well as they enter their teenage years, or is it just a fleet commonality decision ?

[Greg Hyde]

It could be simply ROI (Return on Investment) based on operating costs.

There are more fuel efficient aircraft available with better "bangs for the buck".

Same as the move from A380 to A350.

[Greg Hyde]

Airbus A340 -313 260 F-GLZP Air France Joon cs, ferried 04may20 CDG-LDE, for part-out & scrap

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by David Knudsen

It's interesting seeing American and Air Canada removing E190s given they only have an average age of 12 years, I imagine smaller aircraft for thinner routes may be the norm for the near future - are the 190s not holding up as well as they enter their teenage years, or is it just a fleet commonality decision ?

In the case of AA they were orphans of the US Air marriage and only number 20. AA runs most of the RJs through subsidiary eagle ops where they have close to 200 175s. Air Canada is the same, an odd small number choice when the regional stuff is done by Jazz with pretty much a Canadian sourced fleet.

[Kent Broadhead]

Originally Posted by MarkR

In the case of AA they were orphans of the US Air marriage and only number 20. AA runs most of the RJs through subsidiary eagle ops where they have close to 200 175s. Air Canada is the same, an odd small number choice when the regional stuff is done by Jazz with pretty much a Canadian sourced fleet.

Air Canada took delivery of its first A220 in Feb or Mar, so it may be a pointed clearout, even though the leased aircraft were apparently out to 2023.

Some have indicated that the E190s weren't as efficient and were higher maintenace than expected as well.