Will QAN survive?, page-6276

And 16 of its B737-800s have had their 21st birthday. They are still 'safe' but as every year goes by, the costs of maintenance must increase a little in real terms, and internally they'll show inevitable signs of wear and tear.

Even the relatively small number (seven) of the pride of the fleet, Airbus A380-800s, placed back in service have a median age of 13.7 years.

The overall median age of the so-called 'mainline' fleet at 14.3 years is way above many Asian and Middle Eastern competitors.

It's easy to boast about net profit if a business neglects capex.