The credit crunch and airlines.

daveza

daveza

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I don't fly, but have just read a report on the strain that airlines are taking.

Apart from the fuel cost which has quadrupled since 2003, businessmen are moving from the expensive seats to economy, tourists are flying less as money is tight etc.

We have become so reliant on air transport I cannot even begin to imagine how we would adjust if they simply could not afford to exist.

PS: I also read an interesting account of how planes are being stored in the desert somewhere in the US as they cannot afford to maintain them - and it's cheaper to keep them in the middle of nowhere than to store them in hangers at airports.
 
The planes being stored in the middle of nowhere isn't a new thing I think.
 
what makes me laugh is that the airport taxes are almost more than the flight prices on some of these flights. It sure puts me off flying... (oh, and being treated like cattle at airports)
 
A 747-400ER's fuel capacity is just under 10% of an olympic size swimming pool. Olympic s/pool is about 2,5 million l. The A380 is quite a bit more than the 747 (up to 356 000l). Imagine the amount of fuel all these beasts guzzle every year. No wonder the costs are out of control.

However, having said that...long live the 747! What a machine!
 
Flanders said:
A 747-400ER's fuel capacity is just under 10% of an olympic size swimming pool. Olympic s/pool is about 2,5 million l. The A380 is quite a bit more than the 747 (up to 356 000l). Imagine the amount of fuel all these beasts guzzle every year. No wonder the costs are out of control.
Click to expand...

According to Airbus it is 310,000l

Here's something for you to think about. Disclaimer: this is not terribly scientific, but that's not the point. According to Airbus, the A380 typically seats 525 passengers. That means roughly 590.48 litres of fuel per passenger. Over a range of 15200km, guess what the consumption is per passenger?

25.74 km/l or 3.88 l/100km per passenger.

How does that compare to your daily commute?
 
Maybe I'm missing something...but as I understood it, the airlines were hit hard by the oil price...not the credit crises (at least not directly).

And oil is fairly low atm.
 
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