I booked a ticket for a flight tomorrow from Istanbul to London on British Airways and after I bought the ticket I noticed that the reservation listed 787 as the aircraft type. I took a look at Flight Radar 24 and it confirmed a 787 will be used.

I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is happening. My assumption is that because they've reduced frequencies they are trying to match the aircraft size to demand and they can do this more easily right now as many planes are sitting empty. The other theory would be that they're just rotating aircraft onto different routes for training and currency purposes, as well as to keep their planes flying.

Possibly greater cargo capacity?

CALMSP wrote:

peterinlisbon wrote:

I booked a ticket for a flight tomorrow from Istanbul to London on British Airways and after I bought the ticket I noticed that the reservation listed 787 as the aircraft type. I took a look at Flight Radar 24 and it confirmed a 787 will be used.

I'm wondering if anyone knows why this is happening. My assumption is that because they've reduced frequencies they are trying to match the aircraft size to demand and they can do this more easily right now as many planes are sitting empty. The other theory would be that they're just rotating aircraft onto different routes for training and currency purposes, as well as to keep their planes flying.

could be a combo of reducing frequencies and combining, but IST is a cargo market as well, so it offers IAG the opportunity to increase cargo sales out of Turkey.

Is cargo mainly originating from Turkey or arethey picking up like codeshare cargo from other airlines at IST?

peterinlisbon wrote:

The other theory would be that they're just rotating aircraft onto different routes for training and currency purposes...

I wouldn't dismiss that. What was BA's utilization of 787s last month? It's not like everything is going to turn around Jan 1 and intercon travel will be back to 90%.

MIflyer12 wrote:

peterinlisbon wrote:

The other theory would be that they're just rotating aircraft onto different routes for training and currency purposes...

I wouldn't dismiss that. What was BA's utilization of 787s last month? It's not like everything is going to turn around Jan 1 and intercon travel will be back to 90%.

Also if warranty-related withheld payments still outstanding on the air frame and engine, owners always keen to surge cycles and hours to tease out any problems before the cut-off, which may also conveniently delay the payment. Don't want to store newish aircraft with withheld payments, unless the OEM's have both agreed to add the storage period to the withheld payment period.

For engine maintenance contracts, these are banded storage, low, medium and high. To get your monies worth in the current environment, you either want to operate near the upper limit of the low use band, or store.

MIflyer12 wrote:

peterinlisbon wrote:

The other theory would be that they're just rotating aircraft onto different routes for training and currency purposes...

I wouldn't dismiss that. What was BA's utilization of 787s last month? It's not like everything is going to turn around Jan 1 and intercon travel will be back to 90%.

The 788s are sighted here at AMS more frequently these days, despite the short hop across the channel. In fact, both G-ZBJC and G-ZBJA were just here this week

Interesting thread, and this actually popped into my mind while reviewing my next trip down to SAL on 22DEC on AA. My TPA-MIA leg is normal, a B738. But my MIA-SAL leg is showing as B788 and the seating chart confirms it, this is normally a B738 as well. I put in for my upgrade, it's not every day I get to take an international wide body on a short hop to Central America LOL!!!

B6JFKH81 wrote:

Interesting thread, and this actually popped into my mind while reviewing my next trip down to SAL on 22DEC on AA. My TPA-MIA leg is normal, a B738. But my MIA-SAL leg is showing as B788 and the seating chart confirms it, this is normally a B738 as well. I put in for my upgrade, it's not every day I get to take an international wide body on a short hop to Central America LOL!!!

AA is also running 772s on CLT to LAX, MIA, LAS and the in and off again LHR flights.

AA announced last month MIA to SAL with widebodies last month and Aeroman at SAL is one of AA’s heavy maintenance vendors.

CALMSP wrote:

andrew1996 wrote:

CALMSP wrote:

could be a combo of reducing frequencies and combining, but IST is a cargo market as well, so it offers IAG the opportunity to increase cargo sales out of Turkey.

Is cargo mainly originating from Turkey or arethey picking up like codeshare cargo from other airlines at IST?

you'll have cargo from all over turkey coming in on RFS segments from other locations, such as AYT or ADA, etc. But you still have origin IST freight.

Thanks! I have been surprised in seeing the amount of cargo only pax flights into IST too and always been curious what type of freight is being picked up. In the summer months, I would have guessed also the vast amount of perishable fruits. I see Air Canada sending cargo only pax flight to IST (despite having suspended IST pax service before COVID), I see SQ flying daily 77W/359s to IST etc

Cargo is one point, but this might be as well a good opportunity to keep the long haul crews current? There is also Swiss flying their A340s to places like London and stuff. Saw even one on FR24 these days, comming into ZRH from Spain, BCN if I remember correctly.

Boof02671 wrote:

B6JFKH81 wrote:

Interesting thread, and this actually popped into my mind while reviewing my next trip down to SAL on 22DEC on AA. My TPA-MIA leg is normal, a B738. But my MIA-SAL leg is showing as B788 and the seating chart confirms it, this is normally a B738 as well. I put in for my upgrade, it's not every day I get to take an international wide body on a short hop to Central America LOL!!!

AA is also running 772s on CLT to LAX, MIA, LAS and the in and off again LHR flights.

AA announced last month MIA to SAL with widebodies last month and Aeroman at SAL is one of AA’s heavy maintenance vendors.

Yes, I know, I work at the Aeroman facility for another airline. They only do the A32X series and A330s down here for the heavy checks AA much like DL (although you will sometimes see a DL 737 in here too), I don't believe the 787 is on the capabilities listing for Aeroman however. Any way you slice it, I am very excited to be on a widebody for a change...it is most welcome especially since I have been using NK the last 2 trips down here which is not my "cup of tea" but it gets me to work LOL!

This isn't much of a surprise to me. Go back a few years and IST was always a frequent BA 767 destination - double daily if my memory serves me correctly. With TK no longer flying multiple daily widebodies into LHR, there is substantially reduced cargo capacity.

B6JFKH81 wrote:

Boof02671 wrote:

B6JFKH81 wrote:

Interesting thread, and this actually popped into my mind while reviewing my next trip down to SAL on 22DEC on AA. My TPA-MIA leg is normal, a B738. But my MIA-SAL leg is showing as B788 and the seating chart confirms it, this is normally a B738 as well. I put in for my upgrade, it's not every day I get to take an international wide body on a short hop to Central America LOL!!!

AA is also running 772s on CLT to LAX, MIA, LAS and the in and off again LHR flights.

AA announced last month MIA to SAL with widebodies last month and Aeroman at SAL is one of AA’s heavy maintenance vendors.

Yes, I know, I work at the Aeroman facility for another airline. They only do the A32X series and A330s down here for the heavy checks AA much like DL (although you will sometimes see a DL 737 in here too), I don't believe the 787 is on the capabilities listing for Aeroman however. Any way you slice it, I am very excited to be on a widebody for a change...it is most welcome especially since I have been using NK the last 2 trips down here which is not my "cup of tea" but it gets me to work LOL!

No more 330s they’ve all been retired

PlymSpotter wrote:

This isn't much of a surprise to me. Go back a few years and IST was always a frequent BA 767 destination - double daily if my memory serves me correctly. With TK no longer flying multiple daily widebodies into LHR, there is substantially reduced cargo capacity.

Yes, I used to always choose the 767 flight and back in the day they even served food. I was sad to see the 767 flight replaced with an A320 and the service downgraded to buy on board. In normal times with TK you can take your pick of A330, 777 and even an A350 and you get full service with great food, but it tends to be quite a bit more expensive.

PlymSpotter wrote:

This isn't much of a surprise to me. Go back a few years and IST was always a frequent BA 767 destination - double daily if my memory serves me correctly. With TK no longer flying multiple daily widebodies into LHR, there is substantially reduced cargo capacity.

It’s not so bad. According to Fr24 Turkish sent an A359 and a 77W to LHR today (and the same scheduled tomorrow). BA just had one 788 from IST today.

Swiss have also been sending A330s and A340s to LHR from Zurich some days. I am not sure which flight number but I have seen them on approach around 1030.

Yep.... There are still multiple TK wide bodies at LHR... usually 3/4 a day.... mix of everything.TK are very random.
In fact, can’t remember last TK narrowbody at LHR...

That's a lot more than I have seen - although still a big reduction. At one point 18 months ago they were even sending A333s into LGW twice daily too.

Usually full of cargo... also, the Air ACT 747 running into LHR on TK plates

Indeed, those and QR's 787s / 777s often carried pallets and pallets of Mangos - I remember one time the netting failed and there were Mangos everywhere. I wonder if we currently have a Mango shortage in the UK!

Maybe it is cheaper to park narrow body than wide body? And also the added benefits to keep pilot current?

PlymSpotter wrote:

Indeed, those and QR's 787s / 777s often carried pallets and pallets of Mangos - I remember one time the netting failed and there were Mangos everywhere. I wonder if we currently have a Mango shortage in the UK!

From the biased personal observation from my local Costco, I can confirm we did not have Peruvian mango or other mangoes for about 6 weeks now!