Comparing 787 costs at American and United

We updated our engine model from the Form 41 data and found some interesting results. We don’t have any answers, but the pictures tell a good story that prompts questions. Especially when you consider both airlines use GE engines on their 787s. We should have a competitive race.

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• Upper chart
  • Going into the pandemic, United’s hourly engine costs rose sharply compared to American.
  • Coming out of the pandemic, United’s costs remained higher and, starting in 2022, spiraled much higher than American’s.
• Lower chart
  • Fuel costs are close – which is a good metric since it is what you would expect. This is a source of confidence in the data  – Form 41 is known for, shall we say, liberal data standards.
  • Notice how fuel costs rose sharply from 2021 and peaked in 2Q22.

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