AirTran delays delivery of aircraft

[meanstreak]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bizj/060927/1351658.html?.v=1


bizjournals.com
AirTran delays delivery of aircraft
Wednesday September 27, 9:07 am ET
Low-fare carrier AirTran Airways Inc. announced plans to delay the delivery of eight Boeing 737 aircraft that were scheduled to be delivered in 2007 and 2008.
The Orlando-based airline, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings Inc. (NYSE: AAI - News), says it is pushing back the delivery of five the 19 aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2007 and three of the 18 aircraft planned for 2008. They will now be delivered sometime between 2009 and 2011.
The airline did not make any changes to the delivery of the 20 aircraft it is scheduled to receive this year.
The carrier flies about 700 flights per day to 50 destinations and employs more than 7,500 people.
Published September 27, 2006 by the Orlando Business Journal</I>

 

[jetdawg]

http://investor.airtran.com/phoenix...RlbmsmaXBhZ2U9NDQwMTUzNSZkb2M9MCZhdHRhY2g9b24

 

[400ADude]

Wow. Things aren't looking to great. BK by next year??

 

[minrest]

That's still a lot of deliveries.

 

[Slippery Mick]

Delta's health affecting affecting AirTran?

 

[400ADude]

Delta's health affecting affecting AirTran?

Good one! I guess the diease is spreading over there in Atlanta.

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Good one! I guess the diease is spreading over there in Atlanta.

I didn't know you had been to the A T L recently.

 

[DonVerita]

The reason is probably gate space. Nowhere to put the new planes. Gates in ATL are very hard to get. Currently adding more gates on D-con, but even that isn't enough. Mgt. is probably looking to have the aircraft deliveries coincide with the new gates the airport has plans to build.

 

[atldc9]

I like the new delivery schedule for one reason: it buys us time. If you looked at the old delivery schedule, our deliveries were spiked in 07 - 08, and tapered off quickly in 09 - 10. That left growth being +20% in 07 - 08, and dropping sharply in 09 - 10. Assuming the company wants to keep growing, the sharp drop off would have required some fleet planning for the 09 -10 years to keep the growth going.

Now, however, with the deliveries spread out a little farther, thru 2010 -11, and a more even schedule, any fleet planing decisions can be pushed back a bit. The company has said they don't want to order any more 737's, but would rather wait for the 737 replacement that Boeing is just now starting to design. That would put the time frames about right.

 

[Kharma Police]

I didn't know you had been to the A T L recently.

He has to if he is on the 717 at Midwest.