Airplanetire From United States of America, joined May 2001, 1809 posts, RR: 3 Posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2891 times:
Would it be good if there was a really small long range plane? Something like the A319 with range to fly LHR-SIN, except it could fly routes that not a lot of people would fly like Rochester, New York-BCN or something else. Would it be profitable to fly so few people on a long flight like that, or does it even matter the size of the plane as long as it can be filled enough?
777-200 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 1017 posts, RR: 8 Reply 1, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2837 times:
An A319 could easily Make a Hop from US east cost to Europe if i'm not mistaken
Samurai 777 From Canada, joined Jan 2000, 2451 posts, RR: 5 Reply 3, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2814 times:
I doubt a fully loaded commercial A319 could really go from the US eastern seaboard to, say, LHR or CDG, unless it was fitted with extra fuel tanks. The airline might also have to impose severe payload restrictions, such as baggage size and number restrictions.
However, if I remember correctly, I thought Lufthansa and maybe a couple of other airlines were considering ordering some A319CJ's or converting existing A319's into an all J-class configuration.
Of course, this is not to say that narrowbodies don't fly on regular scheduled airline transatlantic routes anymore. Continental flies 757-200s out of CLE and EWR to LGW. I know Canada 3000 flew 757-200ERS on transatlantic routes, too.
Drcv41 From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 28 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2795 times:
When United brings over new airbuses from France they have to stop in Iceland to refuel. I dont think an A319 can go non stop and be profitable...dr
Woodsboy From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 1012 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2763 times:
This has been a question i have always asked myself! There are many factors involved in making money on long haul flights, not the least of which is -- how much cargo can be carried? I think most of us know that even when a BA 747-400 flies from LHR to JNB 1/2 or 2/3 full, the freight in the belly is what is paying the bills (I am useing the BA example randomly), not the pax. On smaller airplanes the passenger airfare has to cover more of the cost since there isnt as much room for freight and on many short hops, there isnt much demand for cargo space.
On an aircraft such as the A319 (or similar sized) when you have a full load of pax for a JFK-LHR run, assuming that is has the range, you will almost assuredly have a full belly of bags since international passengers tend to carry more than domestic pax do. okay, so, your flight is full with....100 (assuming an international config w/a more luxurious first class) pax and little or no room for revenue freight. You now have a flight crew of two in the cockpit and a cabin crew of at least 4 and depending on conditions, maybe a backup flight crew. Regulations would also require crew rest quarters which on a small plane like the A319 would cut into valuable pax space up above or belly space below. So, on a 747 you can carry easily 3.5x more pax with only a few more cabin crew members and no more flight crew. Flight crew costs alot and when you can accomplish the same thing with a feeder flight bringing pax to a larger hub from which a larger aircraft can carry more pax and more freight, I think you end up making a small airliner on long routes, not very economically attractive.
Another issue is, on long flights you need more catering, more fresh water, more waste water/lav waste storage and then you really start cutting into the space. When I worked at Alaska Airlines, we operated non-stop flights from Seattle to Fairbanks on MD-80s and 737-400s....this is not a terribly long flight, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours at the most but by the time they arrived from Seattle with a full load, the lavs were overflowing!! I can only imagine that on a flight twice as long, you would really have a problem dealing with that sort of thing on a smaller narrowbody (smaller than a 757).
777-200 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 1017 posts, RR: 8 Reply 7, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2744 times:
Wasn't SkyService going to Operate a A319 from East coast Canada to Europe?
Maiznblu_757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5112 posts, RR: 52 Reply 8, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 2739 times:
Fanofjets From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 1895 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2697 times:
Swiss World had plans to operate a 737 (either a -700 or a -800) from the US to Geneva. According the charts on the Boeing Web site, the plane can fly across the Atlantic nonstop eastbound, but the return flight would be dependent on prevailing headwinds and payload, reminiscent of the early 707-120s. Swiss World must have thought this was a profitable proposition. Then, again, that airline lasted only several months.
The aeroplane has unveiled for us the true face of the earth. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Qatar From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 11, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 2625 times:
Qatar Airways as I have mentioned before has 1 A319CJ which is currently used heavily on VIP / Premium charters. They have ordered another one that will be used on scheduled services on DOH-SIN, DOH-LHR and DOH-ZRH and other premium destinations. If this operation is not profitable then why would QR order another A319CJ.
ACJ
** Contact Akbar Al Baker to charter **
Aircraft Type Airbus: A319CJ
Manufacturer: Airbus Industrie
Origin: Toulouse, France
Planes in Service: 1
Engines: International Aero Engines
V2527 M – A5
Seats: 36
Maximum take off weight: 75,500
Cruising Altitude: 41,000 feet
Cruising Speed: M 0.79 (mach)
Maximum Range: 4500 nm (8325 km)
Notdownnlocked From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 915 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (11 years 2 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 2577 times:
This looks like the same plane that was featured on a TV program here in the US on The Learning Channel. The program was about the head of the United Nations and his travels which included many flights on Qatar from BKK thru some different cities in Afghanistan to Pakistan and onwards from there to some place in the MidEast or Europe. It was quite recent as I saw it about 2 weeks ago. The plane broke down at one point and the UN head and his people toured some type of jewelry/tourist area while the plane could be repaired. Perhaps somebody else out there saw this program and can add more.
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