Kumar2013

Another interesting reason. Air India uses bus disembarkation on its night (domestic) flight from CCU to DEL even where the aircraft arrives at the aerobridge. The reason - the aircraft (a 787) has an international departure scheduled in the early morning and has been allotted an aerobridge on the international side of the T3 Terminal. Arriving domestic passengers would therefore be forced to go past immigration and customs if they used the bridge. While this can be (and has been) done, it's easier for AI to get the arriving passengers off by bus and drive them to the domestic wing instead. That's one of the reasons the disembarkation happens, unusually, through the right side door (left one is attached to the bridge).

13901

It's mandatory only if the tug has a towbar, so that the guy onboard can pump the brakes in case the towbar gets disconnected. On a towbarless pushback/tow it's not mandatory to have a person on the brakes because the towing tug basically "grabs" and "lifts" the front gear.

Anyway, to reply to the OP's question:

1. At an outstation, where stand allocation is done by the local airport/authorities, it depends on availability of jetties and how much the airline is willing to pay. At LIN and (most) Italian airports, for instance, the non-Schengen departure area is usually an afterthought, since the majority of traffic is domestic/Schengen, so BA is likely to end up at a remote stand.
2. At LHR, leaving aside "special" flights (i.e. domestics that need to go in specific stands only) the allocation is normally done a day before but is revised up to the last minute. There's a room in T5 with people working with very large screens. They have Gantt charts for every stand and allocate each inbound flight to a specific stand.

rapidex

Engineers are trained to tow aircraft. No flight deck crew required.

chessman

I've had the same experience at ORD with the twist that we had a short delay on boarding as Aeromexico was blocking our plane from being towed in. Bonus was that the plane was a special livery (BOAC maybe?) and its location just off the gate made for great pictures.

noFODplease

I’m pleased to learn the official name for these!

LondonAussie

When I was departing LIN last month (bussed over from MXP because BA cancelled the MXP flight), it appeared that all the non-Schengen gates (ie all gates beyond passport control) were bus gates.

CKBA

I always find it amusing when coming into a remote stand to be bussed to the terminal how the pilot comes on the airwaves with a positive spin along the lines of "...and a direct bus service to the main terminal" - which is true, until you see the one, and only bus, depart with the CW pax, and you have to wait for the next bus (which I've known to take nearly 90 minutes!) - only then to do a tour of LHR and get stuck behind and baggage train... .

Meanwhile:
at first sight I mistook that for Grant Shapps... .

jhaas2629

I remember seeing the BOAC livery at LHR T5 when we were coming home. Beaut.

bd95

As mentioned already, LHR is (usually) so busy and space constrained with three distinct arrival flows, so I guess bussing arrivals to the correct stream will nearly always be required for airlines like BA with mixed operations. The other option would be to sit in the apron waiting for the right gate to be free as happens in the US.

It can be really frustrating to be sitting on one of the “swing” gates at the NE corner of T5A and have to be bussed to domestic arrivals as the neighbouring gate is being used for an international arrival….

It’s even more frustrating to have arrived to the old T1 from Dublin, park at a Europier gate, be bussed to CTA arrivals at the other end of the terminal, reclear security, only to have to run to get your connecting flight…… from the same gate you arrived on (same plane…)!!

xenole

Bus gate yet again for my inbound from MIA. Thinks that's one or two gates in a year amd a half that haven't involved a bus ride now.
Gate was occupied so had to wait for another aircraft to move first as well.
Still managed to get through passport control and the first wing pretty quick for my connection and a semi-relaxed lunch.

VSLover

i am honestly quite stretched to think of a time i ever had a long haul bus gate at T5 pre-covid, and it was a LOT of flying.

nowadays, since we were allowed to travel, i seem to get a long haul bus gate just over half the time.

anecdotal, yes, but wonder if there was some conscious change made fobbing so many long hauls to bus stands.

South London Bon Viveur

Is anyone actually aware of any airport where BA gets buses because it refuses to pay for jetties?

If planes are boarded by stairs from both front and rear doors then it strikes me as more efficient than boarding via the jetty, as you have two boarding streams (although I can see how it might be a problem if people use the wrong entrance). I also like seeing the a/c in its full glory. However, on the downside, the DYKWIA in me dislikes the fact that priority boarding always seems a real dog's breakfast with buses and stairs. I guess it is too complicated to have a separate bus for each group number (plus the numbers would fluctuate).

xenole

Got another one now to MAN. Going to be nice and late.

Quite a few had bus connections coming in and possibly missed connecting flights.

Still believe that if a flight isn't going anywhere for hours, give is a stand with an airbridge so it can clog that up. Otherwise, buses.

LondonAussie

Qatar in Doha have a Business Bus, it even has more comfortable seats with headrests.

When I was bussed by Finnair, they boarded Business last, using a separate bus.

Krisz

Well an opposite example of BA ops in RAK (Marrakesh) where usually BA using A1 (at least the LHR service, the LGW can be both jetty and busses) as a jetty plus a stairs for the back. During boarding some employee directing people either downstairs to go to the back of the plane or just continue on the jetty for the front door.
So boarding generally quick and efficient but it requires some extra people not just on the jetty but on the ramp area too. I believe at LHR bus boarding is an afterthought and the airport never fully designed for this. I can't see why you would need to fill up a single bus before the next when usually 3-4 busses already waiting at A10. I think the A10 gate area just not a great design, It should have two sets of doors per gate one for the front of the aircraft one for the back. Long haul dual isle planes would absorb both bus load of people quicker, no-one would need to stand on the steps, etc and boarding would be much quicker end efficient. Same for arrivals, you would start using two busses at the same time. A380 could easily use 3 stairs and 3 busses simultaneously. (I know is not that simple however if so many short and long haul needs to leave and arrive on a bus gate it could be a good investment. If BA want's to increase its capacity it will need to shorten turn arounds and greatly improve punctuality.