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Most Airlines prefer new planes with low fuel consumption and the latest high-tech gadgets. Delta on the other hand in an effort to cut costs, has focused on an asset most airlines avoid – older planes, It now has one of the oldest fleets in the U.S. and is making a habit of using or buying older planes.

Besides the MD-90s it purchased in 2012, Delta has picked up the leases on 88 Boeing 717s, with an average age of 11 years, from Southwest Airlines. Surprisingly, even with the planes’ higher fuel consumption and maintenance costs, Delta figures it is saving at least $1 billion on the MD-90 purchases, compared with buying new planes. Regarding the 717’s Delta fleet executive said he is “thrilled about the deal we got.”

Although safety experts used to fear old planes in the past, most say now that “with careful maintenance, older jets can fly safely”. Boeing has showed that only 12 of 36 commercial jetliner accidents in 2011 that destroyed planes or caused substantial damage involved aircraft 20 years or older.

At the heart of Delta’s older fleet strategy is its 2.7 million-square-foot complex of maintenance hangars and shops at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. With its mechanics having 19 years of experience on average, Delta believes it has the built-in expertise to care for its aircrafts.

Thus, by having great maintenance, Delta is able to increase the useful life of its aircrafts. John Enders, an aeronautical engineer and aviation safety consultant, allowed that airplanes “have no practical end date.” But older planes require an “extremely careful inspection and maintenance system,” he said.

Source:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203406404578072960852910072.html