Closest Airport to DCA? (YYZ)
Dec 13, 2009 | 11:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 326
Closest Airport to DCA? (YYZ)
Was on AC 312 tonight YYZ-DCA. The plane circled Washington DCA which closed due to fog. After an hour we headed for the alternate airport.
I know what you are thinking............either IAD or BWI, both of which were operational...............
Why would they put YYZ as the alternate airport, forcing us to come back home?
FM
I know what you are thinking............either IAD or BWI, both of which were operational...............
Why would they put YYZ as the alternate airport, forcing us to come back home?
FM
Dec 13, 2009 | 11:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 468
Operations wise it doesn't make sense.
I'm pretty sure that flights to the other two airports are limited as well and probably don't have extra staff on hand to deal with a diverted flight. Further, it's easy to deal with a plane that never made it to it's destination but returned to it's point of departure (where it was going to end up anyways) than to have a plane at a random airport (say BWI).
I'm pretty sure that flights to the other two airports are limited as well and probably don't have extra staff on hand to deal with a diverted flight. Further, it's easy to deal with a plane that never made it to it's destination but returned to it's point of departure (where it was going to end up anyways) than to have a plane at a random airport (say BWI).
Dec 13, 2009 | 11:15 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Programs: FOTSG
Posts: 413
I have no idea why they didn't have IAD or BWI as an alternate as I wasn't the person who drew up the flight plan. To be honest, there are a lot of different possibilities including but not limited to IAD and BWI had similar fog issues (not closed, but using flow control), those airports weren't equipped to handle an AC E75 at that time of night, etc. Besides, I don't think there are AC staff at either IAD or BWI (I would assume UA handles us) so that would put a great burden on them to organize buses/taxies when they are already dealing with their own operation. There are many more options out of YYZ tomorrow morning.