ABSTRACT
This chapter discovers the importance of making accurate assessments of areas such as interior configuration and aircraft performance. Economists have a habit of disagreeing when it comes to defining a classification of aircraft economics, but we must navigate the hazards and establish a customised cost breakdown appropriate for our specific circumstances. Detailed comparisons between aircraft operating under different conditions are practically valueless. Operating costs can be conveniently divided into two parts: direct operating costs (DOC), being those costs which vary according to the type of aircraft used, and indirect operating costs (IOC), which are those costs not affected by aircraft type. Maintenance is an area which is probably the most difficult to tackle from the cost point of view, and the one which causes the most grey hairs on the heads of fleet planners. Data sources to enable the modelling of maintenance costs are many and varied.
