Boavida wrote: ↑22 May 2017, 16:37
The Lufthansa Group is one of the biggest airline groups in the world. They have means. At this moment they have about 200(!) new planes on oder. Why couldn't they just reserve some of these planes for SN, or order 10 extra?
Because:
-none of the planes currently on order are suitable replacements for SN's A330s;
-ordering new A330-300s now would be quite foolish given the fact the follow-up is nearing completion, and given the plethora of young second-hand examples on the market right now for a good price;
-getting these A330-300s means they now have a fleet of similarly aged RR-powered A330-300s at three airlines, streamlinig the fleet accross the group, and meaning that once they're up for replacement, the group can place a joint order;
I don't want to sound too negative, but this looks like they don't take SN very seriously. With these second hand planes, there won't be new planes for at least another 10 years. This is sad.
Nobody cares whether the planes are factory fresh or not, except some aviation afficionados like us. It means nothing.