Allegiant purchased MD-80s from SAS for less than $4 million per plane including all interior conversions and maintenance. Spirit pays $3.2 million per year on average to lease a320s. So what if the MD-80 sucks fuel, over say a ten year period you are saving almost $30 million dollars per aircraft! (without inflation) And because you can purchase them outright, you don’t have to keep them in the air in order to make your payment, you just fly them when the demand is there!

  1. atkuebler posted this