ToBEYwithMEA From Lebanon, joined Feb 2004, 304 posts, RR: 2 Posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2869 times:
Why don't Aircraft makerake a A318 that can fly across the atlantic. The 747 has long range and fits a lot of people. All long range aircraft are fit to handle a lot or people. But lets say I want to open a non-stop flight across the lake but the rote will only bring about 90 paxs.
Wannabe From United States of America, joined Jun 1999, 675 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2744 times:
It's simple math. The bigger the airplane, the more fuel it can carry and the longer distance it can fly. The 318 will not carry enough fuel to allow a non-stop flight across the Atlantic. There are some pretty involved financial formulas that help determine the size of an aircraft that will make money for an airline. They include figuring the distance, the amount of people who want to travel between the places the airline wants to service, how much can those people afford, how much the airplane costs, how much it cost to fuel and maintain the aircraft, the crew, etc. I am sure that if there was a economic justification for designing a 90 passenger trans-Atlantic aircraft, someone would have done it already. The only 90 passenger aircraft that has made that flight in recent years was the Concorde. Its cost could not be supported any more.
Beyond all of that, there is the comfort factor. People have become used to flying big airplanes long distances. I would not want to spend 6+ hours in a regional jet, and I doubt there are many people who would.
Scbriml From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2003, 11446 posts, RR: 50 Reply 4, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2457 times:
Well, I know it's not an A318, but there are already people operating all business class B737s and A319s across the pond. Range is not a problem for aircraft like this fitted with a low density (but high-yield) configuration.
747400F From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 2429 times:
People have become used to flying big airplanes long distances. I would not want to spend 6+ hours in a regional jet, and I doubt there are many people who would.
hmmm I guess that's why there is such a large amount of biz-jets crossing the Atlantic and other Ponds every day.!
ND From Belgium, joined Feb 2004, 280 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 2333 times:
I tend to think Biz-jets to be *slightly* more luxurious than flying a commerical regional jet, so I wouldn't mind flying one of those across the Atlantic.
Someone mentioned that people are used to travelling on larger planes. That is very true, and some also feel uncomfortable travelling across the Pond with anything less than 3 engines.
Stefandotde From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 11 hours ago) and read 2210 times:
That's the point, Jumbofreighter and ND - high quality in a smaller jet is much more comfortable than being imprisoned in a big tube with hundreds of other people.
Also a smaler plane needs less fuel and there is plenty of room for the fuel a 318 needs.
Roberta From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1950 times:
Well even if the 318 cannot cross the atl the 319lr (4500nm) can and its only 20 eco seats larger. Air France will be using it for services to middle east with a high % business class arrangement. The only problem with flying a small plane long haul, is that the extra fuel needed to go a further 1000 miles has to be carried 3500nm first and this will obviously weigh a lot compared to the overall plane weight and increase the burn rate of the initial fuel. I'm not sure how significant this is but it must eventually get to a point were you are putting lots of fuel in but it is having very little effect on the range. This does however mean that F E is poorer than usual, which is why putting fewer people (to keep cabin weight down) and charging them more money makes sense.
TWA902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3053 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 1889 times:
and there is always the 757... which does exactly what you said... allows airlines to fly to smaller cities such as CLE-LGW
TWA902
life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on
Scottb From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 6373 posts, RR: 34 Reply 14, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 1568 times:
The A318 doesn't have the range to go transatlantic (without a westbound fuel stop) unless you're talking about something like SNN-YHZ. The "A319" which PrivatAir uses is an A319LR (predecessor of the ACJ, if I'm not mistaken) with extra fuel capacity, and, as others have said, it's configured as all-business class to help keep the weight down. Same for the "737" they operate, which is really a BBJ (-700 with the strengthened -800 wing and extra fuel tanks).
The problem with operating these all-business-class transatlantic flights is that they can easily steal premium traffic from the operator's existing widebody services unless used on niche routes which would not otherwise be operated. And in general, these flights need corporate contracts with guaranteed seat purchases to generate reliable profits.
Not only are bizjets more luxurious for transatlantic travel, they also offer the high-end passenger the ability to avoid most of the inconveniences associated with international travel -- no 60/90-minute check-in, no security screening lines, no boarding lounge filled with 400 people including crying babies, separate immigration/customs facilities on arrival, no connections required, etc.
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