Anyone fly these aircraft for Pax transport? What have your experiences been? On a 7,000 km trip what does your costs look like. Since it’s 40yrs old I can’t get a performance check of it.
Hi
I don´t know, never tried, but I will 
I just bought the last remaining McDonnell Douglas DC-8-72CF on Croydon, it will start operating ATL-HNL soon.
I can then compare it to my normal ATL-HNL flights with the Boeing 767-400ER
Yea I’ve bought one myself so I’m just hoping I can make it profitable. I have some routes that no one is servicing.
Hi
ok, here are some numbers:
ATL-HNL with a leased Boeing 767-400ER
229 economy
40 business
155 CU
Direct revenues: 146,821 AS$
Direct expenses: 63,257 AS$
Indirect costs: 59,642 AS$
Overall: + 23,923 AS$
ATL-HNL with a bought McDonnell Douglas DC-8-72CF
120 economy
20 business
17 CU
(just assuming that it will be sold out at the same price as the 764)
Direct revenues: 70,596 AS$
Direct expenses: 51,853 AS$
Indirect costs: 15,609 AS$
Overall: + 3.134
But, the 764 has a Popularity with passengers of +5, the DC-8 of -2
So I don´t really think that you can charge the same price on the DC-8 as you can on a 764
If you are alone on your routes with your DC-8, no competition in sight, and I really mean no competition,
any half decent one-stop flight with a modern plane will probably make your passangers run away,
and you are able to keep your prices rather high, you might actually make a profit, I doubt it, but it might just work.
But after all , its a waste of money anyway, the DC-8 I bought cost 4.35 Million, I could lease 4 dh4 with that,
and only one of them will make about the same profit as a DC-8 on a good flight, but it will make not only 2 flights
a day but about 10-12, and I get 4 planes, so well …
Yup I just realized those numbers. Now I need to get rid of it and don’t know how!
Hi,
just put it up for sale. After two weeks, AS will buy it back from you.
Jan
I am. It’s not a bad aircraft. Great range and I would still pull a profit of it. Just on my longer stage length it’s not ideal.