A New Airline, imagine that...

[redneck jihad]

You can not have the seat configuration they are talking about in
a DC10-not enough room. There are no pax version MD10's. MD11's are pretty cheap right now(plenty of them sitting around)-why pay for the conversion to MD10? Their web site shows a Boeing MD11 seat configuration chart.
Remember Laker Airways? I rode one of their DC10's from NY to London for 135 dollars in 1978. I came back on British Airways 4 months later London to Dulles for 130 dollars. No one has been able to make long haul LLC work that well. Maybe HNL-LAX is different. Has anyone tried it before?
Best regards,
RJ

 

[FutureRJPilot]

Why are there so many MD-11's sitting around and being retired, I didn't think they were that old??

 

[redneck jihad]

They're not-neither are all the 747-400's,717's etc. sitting around the desert. But unless you need the range, it's generally more economical to operate a 2 engine plane than a 3 engine-depends on what you're paying for it and how far you need to go. The 11 is a good freighter(FedEX, Luftansa,etc)as it will haul almost as much as a 747-100\200, but cheaper. However,if you're operating out of the far east, the 74 is still preferred because of the way they build pallets.
Delta, American and others got rid of or are in the process of getting rid of theirs because they can run most of the same routes with a 2 engine plane-I think Delta has 3 left until they get the777LR for their far east routes.
Best regards,
RJ

 

[fuzzy077]

legacy

Was anyone involved in that scam of an airline "Legacy"?? Anyone ever get all their stuff back from Padre?

 

[JBcrjca]

The Mainline Airways website sure looks like one of those 'virtual airlines' operated by Flight Sim enthusiasts. But after reading that news story, I guess it's supposed to be the real thing. It's hard to believe that someone would try starting a new carrier with widebodies (or narrowbodies for that matter).

Low cost carriers have tried LAX-HNL before; none ever made it work. The book "Deregulation Knockouts" lists a few:

Pacific East Air tried in '82 with DC-8s, offering $99 fares from LAX, and eventually expanded to ORD-LAX and SFO-HNL. The plan didn't work, ceased operations in '84.

The Hawaii Express tried tried LAX-HNL in '82, using one B747. The fare was $89.95, but the light loads caused a switch to 2 DC-10s. Ceased operations in '83. They did have a pretty cool paint job, however.

Air Hawaii tried in late '85 using 2 DC-10s (same ones operated by The Hawaii Express) with a $298 LAX-HNL fare. They operated for two whole months before shutting down.

I wonder how this new airline thinks they can make it work?

What's the scoop on Legacy Airlines? I've seen their website, it looks like they have(had?) big plans, but other than that I've never heard a thing about them. Another pilot employment scam?

 

[C601]

I dont know who this guy is, but i do know this, there is not DC-10 PAX been converted to a MD-10 PAX, the only ones i know about is with Fedex with 50 DC-10s converted with another 70 options.

The conversion its self takes about 120days, and to get 1 converted you need a Slot, any slot been used Fedex has it under the agreement they have with Boeing

They have no Agreement with leasing or using Gates at LAX, who knows with HNL, but would not take much to find out .

I've checked with all my sources and i can not find any DC-10/MD-11/MD-10 registered to Mainline Airways or to a MR Luke R. Thompson as it states in the Article.

" Massachusetts businessman Luke R. Thompson, founder and chief executive officer of Mainline, said he owns the aircraft and is close to concluding negotiations with an outside contractor to run the plane"

And as Far as this guys experience with importing (what???) and malpractice insurance, i can't find anything on him.

There are other points that would be interesting to bring up but whats the point.

"As soon as a contract is signed" what contract ???? how can u sell tickets if its a contract lol

I would not get to excited until I see a MD-10 PAX sitting at LAX with this guys name on it

I'd love to see his Business Plan though.

 

[Cardinal]

For the price of a DC-10 tire assembly they could produce a website that doesn't scream Low Budget, and perhaps make a good first impression with passengers, but whatever.

 

[metrodriver]

I thought fedex was still trying to get its first md10 approved. Somewhere I found a list with dc10's that fedex has bought over the last few years, and almost every single one has a note that says 'to be scrapped'. So I wonder what their intentions are, ecpecially with the A380 coming in 2008.
So I guess Mainline will be using Boeing DC10's

Laker was very succesful with its low prices and DC10's across the atlantic. It was BA who trew so much legal bs at them that they finally had to stop. They still operate out of the bahamas, with a lot smaller aircraft.

The reason a lot of pax airlines want to get rid of the MD11 are its economics. It never lived up to the promises made by MD, especially range wise. It's a good freighter, but with pax a 767 will do almost the same

 

[C601]

Fedex....

metrodriver


I could give you the list, but as of right now Fedex has aleast 20+ MD-10F's flying and in service.

Of the top of my head

N360FE to N364FE i know are converted DC-10Fs to MD10s. Like i said there are aleast 20+ in service with more to come over the next few yrs....

A380 coming in 2008., I'll see it when i believe it..lol 2008 is lightyears away in Aviation, anything could happen between now and then......


As Far as Fedex DC-10s been scrapped, yes they have have many DC-10s Scrapped.

The DC-10s that Fedex scrapped with built in 1971-74, most (not all) the DC-10s converted to MD-10s where built around 1980-86 later models, i guess for Obvious reasons.

 

[metrodriver]

thanks for the info, I didn't know that they were that far with conversions.