Our plan is to start with four Boeing 747-400 aircraft, add eight more by the end of the first year of operations and have purchased a total of 30 by the the end of the third year.
Economy of scale! With one plane (the 747) hauling 581 passengers to their destination we hire TWO pilots to fly it. Since many 737s or A320’s hold just about 130 passengers, it would take four planes and 8 pilots to fly the same load. That means salaries, benefits, training costs, layovers etc., are ALL reduced, making it a much cheaper method to get the passengers from Point A to Point B!
From a pilot prospective, if a four-engine aircraft has an engine failure, the rules allow them to proceed to their destination. A twin-engine airplane has no choice but to land at the nearest SUITABLE airport, capable of landing that plane, whether or not repair services are available. You are not allowed to pick and choose a better place to land that is further away — you MUST land at the nearest airport that you can safely land. Not so with a three or four engine plane!