Will the Pope's Travel Affect East Coast Air Traffic?

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Sep 22, 2015, 8:47 pm

#16

IAD_flyer

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sbm12

And, keeping with tradition, he'll fly a US-flagged plane for the rest of the trip. In this case that's an AA 777.

I hope it is one post retrofit with the new F & J.

Sep 22, 2015, 11:52 pm

#17

valdor

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Quote:

Originally Posted by sbm12

And, keeping with tradition, he'll fly a US-flagged plane for the rest of the trip. In this case that's an AA 777.

It may be a dumb question but does the US have a flagship airline? Or are DL, UA and AA all considered flagship?

Sep 23, 2015, 3:45 am

#18

gfunkdave

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Quote:

Originally Posted by valdor

It may be a dumb question but does the US have a flagship airline? Or are DL, UA and AA all considered flagship?

I think Pan Am was the last time the US had a flag carrier, or the closest thing to it. Isn't the flag carrier usually owned by the government?

Sep 23, 2015, 4:24 am

#19

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Quote:

Originally Posted by CPRich

As he drives in the Popemobile, he should fly in the Popeplane.

It's most frequently an Alitalia plane, often enough with the return home being on the host country's plane rather than an Alitalia one. Alitalia is very proud of its affiliation with the Vatican and have marketed themselves this way too.

Shepherd/Vatican One was apparently put into a big holding pattern over the Carolinas because it was otherwise going to get into the DC area too quickly for POTUS to get there before the plane would have arrived.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gfunkdave

I think Pan Am was the last time the US had a flag carrier, or the closest thing to it. Isn't the flag carrier usually owned by the government?

Often, but not necessarily. Most flag carriers with at least tricontinental service haven't been wholly-owned directly by government for quite some time. The definition of flag carrier is part of the issue. That said, PanAm and TWA have had special USG relationships that made them flag carriers of sort, even when not being owned by government. It was just a handful of decades ago that the PanAm station chiefs in foreign countries were sometimes considered CIA assets and the relationship with the local US embassies so tight that they could allow travel to the US even when the foreign country's passport holder didn't even have the necessary visas attached to it.

Last edited by GUWonder; Sep 23, 2015 at 4:36 am

Sep 23, 2015, 9:00 am

#20

enviroian

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Quote:

Originally Posted by IAD_flyer

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbm12

And, keeping with tradition, he'll fly a US-flagged plane for the rest of the trip. In this case that's an AA 777.

I hope it is one post retrofit with the new F & J.

So what happens with the AZ 332? Does it fly back home empty or will it backhaul passengers?

Sep 23, 2015, 9:38 am

#21

gfunkdave

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Quote:

Originally Posted by enviroian

So what happens with the AZ 332? Does it fly back home empty or will it backhaul passengers?

Apparently it flew back to Rome yesterday straight from Andrews. I wonder what that cost Alitalia...

And today it's back in commercial service en route to Boston from Rome.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/EIEJG

Code:

Date		Aircraft	Origin	Destination		Departure		Arrival	Duration
23-Sep-2015	A332	Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l) (LIRF / FCO)		Boston Logan Intl (KBOS)	03:50PM CEST	06:40PM EDT	En Route
22-Sep-2015	A332/L	Joint Base Andrews (KADW)		Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l) (LIRF / FCO)	07:30PM EDT	09:30AM CEST (+1)	8:00
22-Sep-2015	A332/L	Antonio Maceo Int'l (MUCU / SCU)	Joint Base Andrews (KADW)	12:30PM CDT	03:48PM EDT	3:18
22-Sep-2015	A332/L	Antonio Maceo Int'l (MUCU / SCU)	Joint Base Andrews (KADW)	12:26PM CDT	12:26PM EDT (+1) (?)	0:29
19-Sep-2015	A332/L	Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l) (LIRF / FCO)	Jose Marti Int'l (MUHA / HAV)	10:34AM CEST	03:49PM CDT (?)	11:15
14-Sep-2015	A332/L	Chicago O'Hare Intl (KORD)	Leonardo da Vinci Int'l (Fiumicino Int'l) (LIRF / FCO)	03:29PM CDT	06:58AM CEST (+1)	8:28

Sep 23, 2015, 9:52 am

#22

enviroian

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Quote:

Originally Posted by gfunkdave

Apparently it flew back to Rome yesterday straight from Andrews. I wonder what that cost Alitalia

I assume AZ would simply flip the bill over to The Vatican?

Sep 23, 2015, 9:52 am

#23

gfunkdave

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Quote:

Originally Posted by enviroian

I assume AZ would simply flip the bill over to The Vatican?

Good point.

Sep 23, 2015, 10:00 am

#24

enviroian

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Quote:

Originally Posted by gfunkdave

Good point.

Plus I could imagine AZ bringing this bird home empty to avoid having just about every (catholic presumably) passenger asking the AZ agents "what seat did the Pope sit in??!?" so they could reserve that "holy" seat.

Sep 23, 2015, 10:11 am

#25

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Quote:

Originally Posted by enviroian

I assume AZ would simply flip the bill over to The Vatican?

The whole cost of that repositioning billed entirely to the Vatican? Not so sure about that, but that is one possible way to work it out.

Sep 23, 2015, 10:54 am

#26

JY1024

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There is at least one existing thread in the NYC forum discussing the impact of the Pope's visit. We'll move this to the Mid-Atlantic (USA) forum, as it encompasses all three cities that the Pope will be visiting. Thanks. /JY1024, TravelBuzz co-moderator

Sep 23, 2015, 7:51 pm

#27

SANDTWFAN

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Quote:

Originally Posted by fassy

Ever been in China? The military closes the airspace whenever they feel like it, not even necessary to have a VIP starting/landing.

China's a communist dictatorsahip.

Sep 23, 2015, 10:28 pm

#28

Letitride3c

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Quote:

Originally Posted by SANDTWFAN

China's a communist dictatorsahip.

Urrr, perhaps - in a "hybrid" mode, no longer in its pure form. PRC just signed a contract for 300 aircrafts with Boeing while its President Xi is in Washington (State) - with a trade delegation of 1,000 reps (per news source) and is en route to ADW as in Andrews AFB (yulp !!)

Get ready for - Saturday thru Monday - more motorcades, frozen zones & street closure, more of a temporary nature ... as all these VIP buzzed thru the streets & avenues of NY, after his/their CA chartered B744's landing (typically, JFK) Perhaps, Xi will be staying this time at the Waldorf (sold/now or soon to be owned by Chinese interests) instead of our own POTUS, which our SS deemed no longer acceptable as approved lodging for security reasons.

Well, I understand that more fences are going up tonight in Manhattan to help safeguard the Pope in addition to the 8' high ones already surrounding parts of Central Park. But, they should be gone by the weekend

- oops, POTUS is also coming to town to address the UN, so - just hold one's breath a while longer.