JECKEL
God's Own Drunk
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2001
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NWA big on smaller planes to save money
76-seat jets taking routes to Boston, Atlanta
Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News
ROMULUS -- Northwest Airlines Corp. is betting big on smaller airplanes.
Looking to cut domestic seating capacity by up to 9.5 percent beginning in October to slash its hefty jet fuel bill, Michigan's largest air carrier is finding that many of its longtime workhorses -- the DC-9 and Boeing 757 to name two -- have too many seats and burn too much fuel in today's world of fewer passengers paying more money to fly.
So the airline is downsizing not only its flights schedules, but some of the planes it flies.
These new smaller jets -- the Embraer 175 and Bombardier CRJ-900 -- aren't just flying to small markets like Sioux City, Iowa, or Moline, Ill. They're also taking over for larger planes on some routes between Detroit and bigger cities like Atlanta, Boston and Minneapolis.
The smaller planes provide plusses for both the airlines and passengers.
"They're the perfect mix of efficient economics and passenger comfort," said John Bendoraitis, president of Compass Airlines, a wholly owned Northwest subsidiary that's currently operating 25 Embraer 175 jets under the Northwest Airlink moniker. "They have a bigger range, more amenities and are far more efficient than their predecessors."
The 76-seat Embraer and Bombardier jets -- with 12 first-class seats and 64 coach -- provide financial benefits for Northwest and other airlines using them:
• They mostly fly under the auspices of regional airline partners, which have lower labor costs.
• Advanced designs and newer engines make the new regional jets about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the bigger airliners they're replacing.
• Fewer seats mean higher demand, which in turn means the airline can command higher fares. The first-class cabins, not common on older smaller plans, also bring in more revenue.
Another advantage: The smaller planes give passengers more choices, allowing airlines to service destinations that might not support a larger jet.
"These planes made service from Detroit to places like Vancouver and Monterrey possible," Bendoratis said. "They're perfect for the demand we have on those routes, and they're comfortable enough for passengers to enjoy their flight."
Passenger comfort is better on the Embraer and Bombardier jets than it is on smaller 50-seat regional jets or turboprop aircraft. Besides the first-class cabins, passengers have more leg room, full-size carry-on luggage bins and less-cramped cabins.
Delta adding small jets, too
Compass expects to operate 36 of the Embraer jets by the end of this year. Northwest's Mesaba Airlines subsidiary plans to eventually have 27 of the Bombardier aircraft in the air.
Officials at Delta Air Lines, which plans to merge with Northwest by the end of this year should the deal receive approval from federal regulators, said the new dual-class regional jets have been good for its business, as well.
Kate Marx, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Comair, said the Delta subsidiary already has 13 of the Bombardier aircraft in service, with another planned to start flying by the end of this year.
"They've proven to be very popular for our passengers out of the Cincinnati and New York hubs," she said.
Experts say that if fuel costs remain high for airlines, demand for better-equipped regional jets will stay strong.
Northwest CEO Doug Steenland told investors recently that the smaller jets will help the airline navigate today's turbulent financial environment.
"These jets are vital as the airlines have to pare down where they're flying and when," said Michael Boyd, president of The Boyd Group, a Colorado aviation consultancy. "They need efficient options that take the right number of people the right distance. These planes close what was once a big gap."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs....080818/BIZ/808180324/1001/BIZ[/b]
76-seat jets taking routes to Boston, Atlanta
Nathan Hurst / The Detroit News
ROMULUS -- Northwest Airlines Corp. is betting big on smaller airplanes.
Looking to cut domestic seating capacity by up to 9.5 percent beginning in October to slash its hefty jet fuel bill, Michigan's largest air carrier is finding that many of its longtime workhorses -- the DC-9 and Boeing 757 to name two -- have too many seats and burn too much fuel in today's world of fewer passengers paying more money to fly.
So the airline is downsizing not only its flights schedules, but some of the planes it flies.
These new smaller jets -- the Embraer 175 and Bombardier CRJ-900 -- aren't just flying to small markets like Sioux City, Iowa, or Moline, Ill. They're also taking over for larger planes on some routes between Detroit and bigger cities like Atlanta, Boston and Minneapolis.
The smaller planes provide plusses for both the airlines and passengers.
"They're the perfect mix of efficient economics and passenger comfort," said John Bendoraitis, president of Compass Airlines, a wholly owned Northwest subsidiary that's currently operating 25 Embraer 175 jets under the Northwest Airlink moniker. "They have a bigger range, more amenities and are far more efficient than their predecessors."
The 76-seat Embraer and Bombardier jets -- with 12 first-class seats and 64 coach -- provide financial benefits for Northwest and other airlines using them:
• They mostly fly under the auspices of regional airline partners, which have lower labor costs.
• Advanced designs and newer engines make the new regional jets about 30 percent more fuel-efficient than the bigger airliners they're replacing.
• Fewer seats mean higher demand, which in turn means the airline can command higher fares. The first-class cabins, not common on older smaller plans, also bring in more revenue.
Another advantage: The smaller planes give passengers more choices, allowing airlines to service destinations that might not support a larger jet.
"These planes made service from Detroit to places like Vancouver and Monterrey possible," Bendoratis said. "They're perfect for the demand we have on those routes, and they're comfortable enough for passengers to enjoy their flight."
Passenger comfort is better on the Embraer and Bombardier jets than it is on smaller 50-seat regional jets or turboprop aircraft. Besides the first-class cabins, passengers have more leg room, full-size carry-on luggage bins and less-cramped cabins.
Delta adding small jets, too
Compass expects to operate 36 of the Embraer jets by the end of this year. Northwest's Mesaba Airlines subsidiary plans to eventually have 27 of the Bombardier aircraft in the air.
Officials at Delta Air Lines, which plans to merge with Northwest by the end of this year should the deal receive approval from federal regulators, said the new dual-class regional jets have been good for its business, as well.
Kate Marx, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Comair, said the Delta subsidiary already has 13 of the Bombardier aircraft in service, with another planned to start flying by the end of this year.
"They've proven to be very popular for our passengers out of the Cincinnati and New York hubs," she said.
Experts say that if fuel costs remain high for airlines, demand for better-equipped regional jets will stay strong.
Northwest CEO Doug Steenland told investors recently that the smaller jets will help the airline navigate today's turbulent financial environment.
"These jets are vital as the airlines have to pare down where they're flying and when," said Michael Boyd, president of The Boyd Group, a Colorado aviation consultancy. "They need efficient options that take the right number of people the right distance. These planes close what was once a big gap."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs....080818/BIZ/808180324/1001/BIZ[/b]
