spiritair97 From United States of America, joined Jan 2011, 1231 posts, RR: 1 Posted (7 months 3 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 9294 times:
In this picture from the database of LHR in the early 2005, there is an EI a321 at a gate with the jetway connected to door 2L! How is this possible? I thought all a321s could only have the jetway connected to door 1L? Are there any airlines that currently still do this and is there a special modification or variant that requires/allows this?
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1174 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (7 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 8941 times:
EI, BMI ,LH all used to do it from what I recall.
The door at 2L on an A321 is large enough for passenger use. Back when EI first got their A321s there used to be a galley at 2R for its Premier Europe service which gave space to allow passenger boarding through that door. It never happened in DUB but LHR regularly used it. However since the aircraft have been reconfigured into an all economy layout the space between rows at this exit has been lessened and the door has now been reclassified as an emergency exit only.
laca773 From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 3749 posts, RR: 2 Reply 3, posted (7 months 3 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 8859 times:
I'd really like to know this too. Thanks for posting this question.
I've been told, 1) the position of 2L is too close to the engine, and thus is at high risk of damage from a rogue jetway; 2) 2L isn't a regular size door for en/deplaning. Instead, it's used as an emergency exit.
smbukas From Lithuania, joined Feb 2009, 104 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (7 months 3 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 8809 times:
LH also use that on some gates in FRA also. A321 and also 757 second doors are big for passenger boarding. And boarding procedure become much faster with jetway connected to second door as passengers split two ways just after entering the aircraft.
YYCspotter From Canada, joined Jul 2012, 97 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (7 months 3 weeks 9 hours ago) and read 7517 times:
The Airbus A321 can use its 2L door as a passnger door, but only if it is in passenger door configuration. as long as the slide is disarmed, it, and (Although unlikely) even the 3L door can be used if needed.
Shamrock137 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 79 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 6094 times:
I imagine it also has to do with jetway size. Their are many different types of jetways, some small enough to be used on an ERJ145 without an adapter, to those that are extra wide for larger aircraft such as the A380. This affects the maneuverability of the jetway and its footprint on the ramp.
rufusisgod From Ireland, joined Nov 2008, 70 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (7 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 5998 times:
The Jetway is the standard size on stand 90. As it's used for 320s also. My reason above is the reason why its done. I've operated into LHR for the past 7 yrs. It's always the way on that stand.
GT4EZY From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2007, 1724 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 5437 times:
Generally speaking, doors 2L on the A321 is rarely used and the main reason for this is that the door is actually pretty close to the number 1 engine. Indeed, that is why the slide is slightly slanted. I think the thinking is why increase the risk of engine damage when 1L does the job for the size of aircraft. In my time on the 321 we used 2L a couple of times....mainly due to a parking or airbridge error which made it necassary to use that door.
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1174 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 4881 times:
Quoting rufusisgod (Reply 9): The Jetway is the standard size on stand 90. As it's used for 320s also. My reason above is the reason why its done. I've operated into LHR for the past 7 yrs. It's always the way on that stand.
Stand 90 hasnt been in use for at least 3 years, possibly 4 years now. All the jetties have been removed and the stands used by BA for coaching stands from T3!
robffm2 From Germany, joined Dec 2006, 1094 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 4287 times:
Quoting LH422 (Reply 10): I've been on LH A321 flights out of Frankfurt where they had two jetbridges attached. Business boarded through 1L and economy through 2L.
bx737 From Ireland, joined Sep 2001, 641 posts, RR: 4 Reply 14, posted (7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 4181 times:
EI stopped using stand 90 for their A321s once they were reconfigured to 212 seats as it made boarding and disembarking very difficult as the seats are next to the door. They were reconfigured in about 2004 IIRC.
clydenairways From Ireland, joined Jan 2007, 998 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (7 months 2 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1882 times:
Quoting bx737 (Reply 14): EI stopped using stand 90 for their A321s once they were reconfigured to 212 seats as it made boarding and disembarking very difficult as the seats are next to the door.
Why is that? on FR 737's the seats are right up to the door also.
ACEregular From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2003, 674 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (7 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 1793 times:
FR do not operate the A321. If you are referring to the Boeing 737-800 that they operate, then that will be because the emergency exit's are just small over-wing window exits and not full sized doors. As such they only require a small ammount of extra room to facilitate the occupant's use of the exit. The A321 emergency exits are more or less the same size as a standard boarding door, though in the main, doors 2 and 3 are not as tall. obviously such a large exit can not be blocked by rows of seats regardless of whether it can be used for boarding or soley as an emergency exit. At worst, you will normally find a row at the exit but the window seat missing, to create an assist space for the crew to use the door. The row itself will generally have more legroom than other standard rows. Each door will also have a crew-seat (station adjacent to it. FR do not have crew seats at their emergency exits as they are not floor level exits.
bx737 From Ireland, joined Sep 2001, 641 posts, RR: 4 Reply 17, posted (7 months 2 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 1778 times:
Unlike the FR 738s there are no seats in front of the exit which come back in line with the exit, there isn't as much space on an A321 at Door 2 as there is at the front of a 738. Door 2 was used a few times for boarding and it was found that boarding was a lot slower than if Door 1 was used, so the decision was taken not to use the door for boarding.
Quoting ACEregular (Reply 16): FR do not operate the A321. If you are referring to the Boeing 737-800 that they operate, then that will be because the emergency exit's are just small over-wing window exits and not full sized doors. As such they only require a small ammount of extra room to facilitate the occupant's use of the exit. The A321 emergency exits are more or less the same size as a standard boarding door, though in the main, doors 2 and 3 are not as tall. obviously such a large exit can not be blocked by rows of seats regardless of whether it can be used for boarding or soley as an emergency exit. At worst, you will normally find a row at the exit but the window seat missing, to create an assist space for the crew to use the door. The row itself will generally have more legroom than other standard rows. Each door will also have a crew-seat (station adjacent to it. FR do not have crew seats at their emergency exits as they are not floor level exits.
I was referring to the fact that the FR 737 seats are right up next to the PAX door, not the overwing exit.
tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1174 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (7 months 2 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 1627 times:
Quoting clydenairways (Reply 18): I was referring to the fact that the FR 737 seats are right up next to the PAX door, not the overwing exit.
This thread is about the use of Doors 2 on an A321. With the reconfiguration of the aircraft to a higher density layout by EI door 2L on the 321 literally leaves minimal room as required for evacuating through that door. If you were to board/disembark at that door now passengers would have barely any space to pass thanks to 9BC and would be made even worse if customers had already settled into 10ABC. There is literally no room to manouver there!
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