ABSTRACT
The planning of a fleet of aircraft for an airline is really no different from any other planning activity. Building a successful fleet plan requires a blend of engineering and commercial know-how, the ability to predict the future, a good deal of intuition, plus a lot of luck. Good fleet planners, one can almost say, are born, not made. Fleet planning should not be concerned with today's markets alone. A good fleet plan allows the market to grow into the aircraft just as little feet must grow into shoes. One of the most frustrating things about fleet planning is that no matter how logical, how financially sound, how compelling the case for implementing a particular fleet, the real decision may be driven by purely extraneous political factors. The industry is going through a period of consolidation, with the continuing expansion of hub-and-spoke systems and alliances. Such developments are significant in that they can colour fleet planning decisions.
