Originally Posted by
cptlflyer
I'm attempting to determine the number and types of aircraft that NWA has based out of NRT. I had always assumed that the equipment operating out of their NRT "hub" were US-originating flights that then connect onward to another city, return to NRT, then fly back to the US... but, I've since learned that cannot be the case... especially since I've seen NW 757's over there (flying to Busan, for example).
So, anyone have any insight on how many and which types of NW metal are based full-time out of NRT (i.e., don't fly regularly to the mainland US)?
I think we can safely assume that almost all of the ex-NRT a/c fly back to the States on a regular basis. The A332s and 744s technically originate Stateside and fly back with pax ex-NRT to various US airports. Ditto the cargo 742s and 744s (minus the pax, of course).
The only exceptions, as you noted, might be the 757s but even those are (I believe) cycled back to the States on a regular basis. NRT-PUS/SPN/GUM/NGO are all fairly short flights so keeping the 757s grounded at NRT between cycles for so long doesn't seem to make much economic sense until you consider what other ETOPS a/c NW can use on those routes (in other words, none). NRT-CAN is somewhat longer (about 5 hours each way) so devoting a 757 to that route works fine as well (unless you're the one on the plane, that is
).
Of course, I'm just speculating. I could be completely off-base.