noROCclub

This was a new experience for me. On UA 48 EWR-BOM, we were delayed about 20 minutes leaving the gate due to the fact that 65(!) passengers had requested wheelchairs. Once away from the gate, we taxied for a while. Then the captain announced that there was a problem with one of the flight crew. One of the 1st officers was going to become "illegal" due to hour limitation. So, we had to return to the gate and get a new 1st officer. Total delay was about 2 hours. Why would this happen for a 15 hour flight? Presumably, none of the crew had just completed another trip immediately prior to this flight. Would this be due to some monthly limit where the extra 20 minutes we spent loading would make this pilot now illegal?

phkc070408

hughw

This was in EWR not BOM....I would assume that there just might be someone available at EWR.

Bear96

Probably a duty period total time on duty (rather than a monthly flight time) limitation. He must have come on duty earlier than the rest of the crew for some reason. Maybe as a reserve on airport standby?

With the really long-haul flights, an on-ground delay of only a few minutes can make a big difference because you are already very close to the FAR maximum duty time limits even if nothing goes wrong.

LarryJ

Sounds like this one pilot may have been assigned the trip from a short-call or field-standby reserve period. If so, their duty time limitation would be more restrictive than for the pilots who had been assigned to the trip well in advance.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/117.21

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text..._C_to_part_117

leonidas

Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis is very high among Indians (61–66% among women and 38–39% among men).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...21694208000739

Not a surprise that there were 65 wheelchairs requested.

sexykitten7

Tragedy of the commons. Hey, they're free so why not?!?

emcampbe

Time outs on these ULH flights are not uncommon with a even a short delay. The duty time required on the flight comes up close to the limits, so you can get stuff like this when it seems, to a laymen, they shouldn't.

The other issue with these ULHs is how one delay from a hub can cascade into two days of delays from the other end. For the BOM/DEL flights when they are ontime, they leave EWR day 1, arrive in India in the evening on day 2. The aircraft turns like 3 hours later, leaving late night on day 2 or early morning day 3 (i.e. +/- an hour of midnight), and the crew is schedule back late night day 3/early morning day 4. If an aircraft is delayed out of EWR on say, Monday, it not only delays the overnight Tuesday flight (arriving back in EWR day 3), but crew rest can demand that the return the next day can be delayed several hours. I've been schedule on one of these where ex-BOM, the flight was delayed something like 12 hours due to crew. Luckily, these delays can be communicated early (i.e., when the delayed flight leaves EWR on day 1), and UA has been able to rebook me on * carriers leaving around the same time as the original UA departure. Last time, for example, they booked me on Swiss/AC via ZRH to get to YYZ (bonus: always love an opportunity for a ZRH layover to grab some truffles from Sprungli).

Brick

I wonder if the EWR-BOM flights have the same healing powers as the MCO and ATL flights. 15 wheelchair passengers get on at the departure city. 3 wheelchair passengers get off at the arrival city.

porciuscato

According to this article 50 per flight is becoming pretty common for India to SFO and EWR flights:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/the-great-indian-wheelchair-jugaad/articleshow/62675585.cms

apodo77

The "miracle flight" as we call it on DL is not limited to MCO-ATL. PBI based and seen it a lot on ATL-PBI but my personal observed record was 19 wheelchairs boarding for PBI-LGA and only 5 upon landing in LGA.

Sounder

I have seen EK flights (which are filled with Indian connecting pax) with as high as 108 wheelchairs on a 777. It's some kind of cultural thing coming from India that I don't fully understand why it's happening. 50-60 wheelchairs is the norm on most US bound EK flights.

UA_Flyer

AndyPatterson

Also known as the "resurrection flight"! EWR/LGA to FLL is another such flight. "Wheelchairs on, dancing off..."

Back on topic -- the flights to/from India probably have just as many wheelchairs upon arrival, as they think or know that they can go to the head of the immigration line?

chebert999

A good trick to board in BG0. 😂