Has anyone seen the Memphis hub during the holiday?
Also, the article states that FedEx is the "second-largest airline in the United States, surpassed only by American Airlines." Does anyone have an idea how big the fleet size of AA is? The article states the US. How about global?
Will the FedEx fleet shrink when the 727s are gone?
CF6PPE From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 257 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 8550 times:
A great article briefly describing what happens at the FedEx hubs.
Quoting SM92 (Thread starter): Will the FedEx fleet shrink when the 727s are gone?
On the FedEx site fact sheet, a count of 94 each B722's and four each B752 are shown. (among the other fleets)
More than enough B752's and the fifteen each B777F will be added to offset the future demise and retirement of the currently held B722 fleet.
At one time (several years ago) the B727's counted for ~165 frames, i.e., ~55 each B721's and ~110 each B722's; so the B727 fleet is down ~70 frames already.
Eghansen From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 8350 times:
Quoting SM92 (Thread starter): Also, the article states that FedEx is the "second-largest airline in the United States, surpassed only by American Airlines." Does anyone have an idea how big the fleet size of AA is? The article states the US. How about global?
Fedex has 291 active aircraft: 66 - A300, 68 - A310, 12 - ATR42/72, 5 - 757, 82 - DC10, 58 - MD11. Federal Express is not even close to being the second largest airline. WN has 518, UA has 398, DL has 444, US has 360, AA has 659, CO has 364.
You can find out all the active and historical aircraft owned by any airline at www.airfleets.com.
Word to the wise: Don't believe anything you hear about aviation in the general press. They are notoriously inaccurate.
Eghansen From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 21 hours ago) and read 8327 times:
SORRY!!! I take back what I said. I was wrong. It should be Airfleets.net, not Airfleets.com. Also, it appears that airfleets.net does not track all aircraft owned by airlines, only certain ones. Not included are 92 Boeing 727 and about 250 Cessna Caravans, which give them over 600 aircraft.
Airfinair From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 641 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 8171 times:
From the article, they talk about certain flights that depart in the morning, zig zag around in the air completely empty, ready to land at various airports at a moments notice if additional lift capacity is required. For example, here's of FDX 1366, regularly routed DLH-MEM, routed in a big "Z" over the midwest, able to land at MKE, ORD, DTW, STL or even LCK:
I think you mean www.airfleets.net (not .com). Actually, they don't maintain data for ALL active and historical aircraft. For example, they don't maintain fleet data for several older types like the DC-9, B727, B707, DC-8 etc.
Brick From United States of America, joined Aug 1999, 1554 posts, RR: 10 Reply 7, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 7910 times:
You need to count the Cessna 208's and ATR's operating in FedEx colors as Mountain Air Cargo, Empire Airlines, and etc. If you count the FedEx Feeder aircraft (which I believe you should), then it seems like FedEx being #2 is about right.
American Airlines gets to count American Eagle and American Connection in their aircraft totals. So FedEx should get to count FedEx Feeder aircraft as well.
T773ER From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 276 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 7894 times:
Quoting Eghansen (Reply 3): Fedex has 291 active aircraft: 66 - A300, 68 - A310, 12 - ATR42/72, 5 - 757, 82 - DC10, 58 - MD11. Federal Express is not even close to being the second largest airline. WN has 518, UA has 398, DL has 444, US has 360, AA has 659, CO has 364.
But when you count over 230 Cessna Caravans FEDEX owns, it's close second. Now whether or not those Caravans should be included in the total is up for debate, I personally don't think they should.
"Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man."
DfwRevolution From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 675 posts, RR: 54 Reply 9, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 7894 times:
Quoting Eghansen (Reply 3):
Fedex has 291 active aircraft: 66 - A300, 68 - A310, 12 - ATR42/72, 5 - 757, 82 - DC10, 58 - MD11. Federal Express is not even close to being the second largest airline.
Quoting Eghansen (Reply 4): SORRY!!! I take back what I said
Well here is the full breakdown for whoever cares:
63 Airbus A300-600s
66 Airbus A310-200/300s
13 ATR 72s
29 ATR 42s
13 Boeing DC10-30s
14 Boeing DC10-10s
53 Boeing MD10-10s
7 Boeing MD10-30s
58 Boeing MD11s
92 Boeing 727-200s
92 Boeing 727-200s
4 Boeing 757-200s
243 Cessna 208Bs
10 Cessna 208As
8 Fokker F-27s
QQflyboy From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 2040 posts, RR: 16 Reply 10, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 7650 times:
Quoting Brick (Reply 7): American Airlines gets to count American Eagle and American Connection in their aircraft totals. So FedEx should get to count FedEx Feeder aircraft as well.
AA's active fleet of 651 aircraft does not include Eagle. Eagle has a fleet that totals 305 a/c, bringing the combined total to 956.
Here's the breakdown of both for those who are interested. The AA info was taken from SABRE and the active fleet list which is updated daily. The Eagle information was captured from AA's Corporate information section of AA.com, which was last revised in June 2007.
AA61Hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13946 posts, RR: 63 Reply 11, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 7615 times:
Quoting SM92 (Thread starter):
Will the FedEx fleet shrink when the 727s are gone?
No because FX will be receiving the 757s shortly thereafter.
United787 From United States of America, joined May 2005, 2051 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 7305 times:
FXramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 6706 posts, RR: 100 Reply 14, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 7261 times:
Quoting SM92 (Thread starter): Has anyone seen the Memphis hub during the holiday?
AA61Hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13946 posts, RR: 63 Reply 15, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 7231 times:
Quoting FXramper (Reply 14):
No, the 777F will be the new long haul a/c for our fleet.
Drewski, correct me if I am wrong, but the MD10s will be working along side the 777 as well for some high volume domestic routes (a la OAK-MEM, EWR-MEM)
Phxplanes From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 435 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 7168 times:
That is an interesting article. I think it would be tought to work for them because most of there operations are done at night. Does anyone know how the crew schedules work. Do they leave MEM in the morning, sleep all day at there destination and come home that night.
ElmoTheHobo From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 1494 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 7124 times:
Quoting FXramper (Reply 14): No, we have an LOI for 87 757Fs and are taking 15 777Fs with 15 options.
SM92 From United States of America, joined Oct 2000, 131 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 10 hours ago) and read 6970 times:
Interesting background and it made me wonder on a few more things in regard to FedEx:
Isn't UPS much bigger than FedEx? Their package volume is greater, correct? If that is the case, why is their (UPS's) fleet smaller? Is it because they are mostly ground with less emphasis on Express shipment and therefore need a smaller fleet?
Does anyone know the breakdown of the UPS fleet to compare with FedEx?
Also, the fleet comparison between FedEx and UPS is interesting. Maybe those with better knowledge can explain their thoughts. Both had planned on getting the A380 for their fleets. But other fleet decisions diverge. UPS recently purchased 767s for their fleet but FedEx has gone with the 777. UPS also has selected the 747-400F, but FedEx has talked about maybe going back to the A380 at some point in the future. What is the rational behind UPS favoring the 767 and FedEx favoring the 777? And then why would UPS go with the 747 and FedEx not have any 747 destined for their fleet? Why would FedEx choose the 777 over the 747 when they decided to cancel the A380? Don't the A380 and 747 more closely compare? And finally, is there any speculation that the 747-8 would be in the UPS fleet in the future?
Lots of questions, but that is what this forum is for, right? To learn from others?
FXramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 6706 posts, RR: 100 Reply 19, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 6868 times:
Quoting AA61Hvy (Reply 15): but the MD10s will be working along side the 777
You are correct. Initial crew base and routes will be out of MEM and IND.
Gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 15323 posts, RR: 91 Reply 20, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 6734 times:
Quoting FXramper (Reply 19):
If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Most the members on this site know the first few were from US.
I've always been curious about this as well. An LOI implies that there's one person to file said LOI with, and there are only a few with 87 757s. US certainly doesn't have 87, and I'd be surprised by Delta, United, or American agreeing to part with 87 aof them in a timeframe suitable.
I would understand, however, if the LOI were with a third party of some kind who is responsible for the acquisition and conversion of the planes.
FXramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 6706 posts, RR: 100 Reply 21, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 6732 times:
RedFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 4013 posts, RR: 32 Reply 22, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 6687 times:
Too bad passenger airlines can't run a hub-and-spoke system as efficiently as FX. But that begs the question: how does FX do it so efficiently?
Note: I realize it's a lot easier to conveyor-belt a package than it is to move people through an airport; however, that still doesn't explain how FX manages to get packages delivered on time (at least from my personal experience and my business ships a lot through FX) even when the weather is doo-doo at the departure point, destination point, and in MEM. Not to mention I'm sure FX has its share of technical issues with airplanes.
On a side note, how did Fred Smith come to pick MEM as his hub? Was it because it was closer to the East Coast package traffic, which was quite heavier at the time, or some other consideration? It definitely wasn't "central" to the CONUS back then.
FXramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 6706 posts, RR: 100 Reply 23, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 6671 times:
Quoting RedFlyer (Reply 22): Not to mention I'm sure FX has its share of technical issues with airplanes.
A real pain in the butt when an a/c goes MX.
Quoting RedFlyer (Reply 22): even when the weather is doo-doo at the departure point
Very carefully - GOCC (Global Operations Control Center) at the super-hub in MEM does a fantastic job of juggling.
Quoting RedFlyer (Reply 22): how did Fred Smith come to pick MEM as his hub
Originally, Fred wanted LIT as a hub, and they said no.
Wilax From United States of America, joined Jun 2002, 465 posts, RR: 4 Reply 24, posted (4 years 1 month 2 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 6620 times:
Quoting RedFlyer (Reply 22): Too bad passenger airlines can't run a hub-and-spoke system as efficiently as FX. But that begs the question: how does FX do it so efficiently?
Also, FedEx can schedule all pkgs to fly at the times most convenient for the airline. As long as the pkg gets to the arrival station by the next morning, FDX has all night to get the pkg there. Passengers want to fly at specific times and don't want to sit in a hub for hours. Coud you imagine Delta telling you to be at LAX by 730pm, and we will get you to SEA by 1030am the next day... and you have to connect through MEM... that's 15 hours for 2.5 hours direct flying time, mind you, and that was the only flight every day.
FedEx has alot of wiggle room, and freight is an entirely different animal.
25 ElmoTheHobo: Figured US didn't have 87 more 757s laying around. RR powered? That leaves BA, CO, AA as the major carriers with RR powered 757s.
26 DfwRevolution: I may be wrong, but I believe American Eagle is a separate airline, with a separate operating certificate from the FAA that is owned by the AMR paren
27 RedFlyer: Excellent post. That makes complete sense. Thanks!
28 SM92: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news...lps-awaken-economic-giant-s-on-to/ Just an interesting article on FedEx Operations in China ^ But i think the a
29 RedFlyer: Probably some snaggle-tooth named Hillary was looking for a kick back before Little Rock would get approved.
30 CF6PPE: As the story goes from FedEx employees that were in the startup operation at LIT, Federal Express had enough ramp space to hold four Falcon 10 aircra
31 FXramper: There are currently around 40 (757) with no homes.
32 Aviateur: FedEx does *not* have 669 aircraft as the article erroneously states. The carrier has about 370. Neither is airline is the second largest-carrier, as
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