United to try to avoid YYR / Goose Bay!

Old Feb 5, 2019, 6:08 pm
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United to try to avoid YYR / Goose Bay!

Not surprising. The WSJ article may only be for subscribers.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...-bay-1.5005484
https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/...-stranded.html
https://www.wsj.com/articles/united-...rs-11549297751


(Moderator add) From CBC story:
After more than 200 passengers spent a night locked inside a plane earlier this month, United Airlines is designating Goose Bay Airport for emergencies only. ...United Airlines Flight 179 was on its way to Hong Kong from Newark, N.J., when it landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay for a medical emergency. The passenger was taken off and sent to hospital, but the rest were told they'd have to stay onboard while the crew dealt with a mechanical issue.





Last edited by l etoile; Feb 6, 2019 at 2:35 pm Reason: added a couple of graphs from story
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 7:16 pm
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I think that it is an effort to get CBSA and the airport authority to work to fix the underlying issue, e.g., permitting passengers what amounts to transit access to the larger facility if whatever the diversion issue is will require ground time exceeding something reasonable.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 9:08 pm
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I’m kind of confused.

The CBC article refers to UA changing to using other airports instead of YYR in ‘anything less than an emergency’. I’d like to know which UA flights have landed in YYR in non-emergency situations. Maybe there are scheduled flights that Im unaware of? If you’re spending thousands of $ in landing fees for an unscheduled stop, isn’t it pretty much only because of an emergency?
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 9:39 pm
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
I’m kind of confused.

The CBC article refers to UA changing to using other airports instead of YYR in ‘anything less than an emergency’. I’d like to know which UA flights have landed in YYR in non-emergency situations. Maybe there are scheduled flights that Im unaware of? If you’re spending thousands of $ in landing fees for an unscheduled stop, isn’t it pretty much only because of an emergency?
Perhaps there are different levels of emergencies. In the most recent medical diversion, one wonders why plane didn't land at St. John's Nfld. (YYT), which would have been better equipped to manage medical and passenger issues.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 10:09 pm
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Originally Posted by restlessinRNO
Perhaps there are different levels of emergencies. In the most recent medical diversion, one wonders why plane didn't land at St. John's Nfld. (YYT), which would have been better equipped to manage medical and passenger issues.
That's a good point. I'd be interested to see the results of an investigation. They likely just pushed out this article in a hurry to curtail the PR damage.
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Old Feb 5, 2019, 10:50 pm
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
I’m kind of confused.

The CBC article refers to UA changing to using other airports instead of YYR in ‘anything less than an emergency’. I’d like to know which UA flights have landed in YYR in non-emergency situations. Maybe there are scheduled flights that Im unaware of? If you’re spending thousands of $ in landing fees for an unscheduled stop, isn’t it pretty much only because of an emergency?
Maybe planned fuel stops for west-bound TATL (esp 757s) that know at take-off that they will need to refuel? Definitely not an emergency.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 2:10 am
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Originally Posted by emcampbe
I’m kind of confused.

The CBC article refers to UA changing to using other airports instead of YYR in ‘anything less than an emergency’. I’d like to know which UA flights have landed in YYR in non-emergency situations. Maybe there are scheduled flights that Im unaware of? If you’re spending thousands of $ in landing fees for an unscheduled stop, isn’t it pretty much only because of an emergency?
Westbound fuel stops in winter on aircraft that push their range limit on the route. Anytime they get a strong headwind the 757's from Europe are susceptible to fuel stops in Canada. Assume the 737Max that airlines are looking to start on TATL will have the same issue.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 5:26 am
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Originally Posted by restlessinRNO
Perhaps there are different levels of emergencies. In the most recent medical diversion, one wonders why plane didn't land at St. John's Nfld. (YYT), which would have been better equipped to manage medical and passenger issues.
If you’re making a diversion for a passenger medical, it’s obviously fairly time critical. Goose Bay is perfectly suitable for that; long runway, medical facilities, adequate fuel availability.

Assuming the weather is above minimums and that happens to be the nearest suitable airport, that’s where you go to get medical help for an ailing passenger.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 5:59 am
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Both UA and CBC have dumbed the issue down for public consumption. You can be assured that UA's operations folks are well aware of the choices and can advise the Captain accordingly. Also worth remembering that while there may be a better alternative than YYR, that alternative may not be available for any number of reasons, e.g. local weather. Further, in large weather situations, YYR may be the only field capable of taking larger numbers of sizeable aircraft.

This was originally planned as a medical diversion which would have required a brief stop to offload the ill passenger, topping up the fuel and continuing on (or returning to EWR).
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 7:07 am
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Well UA949 LHR-SFO is off to BGR instead:

Comments:

0949/06FEB
P LHR/OUT 924A L00.04 EST OFF 947A
P LHR/OFF 957A
P BGR/ETA 1128A FLIGHT DECK CREW
F BGR/ETD 104P
F SFO/ETA 431P L04.01
D FCF/FSTOP BGR ENRT LHR-SFO A/FLIGHT DECK CREW

SKED LHR ORIG 920A GTD B33 SHIP 2897
SFO 1230P TERM GTA 80
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 7:16 am
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Originally Posted by djmp
Well UA949 LHR-SFO is off to BGR instead:

Comments:

0949/06FEB
P LHR/OUT 924A L00.04 EST OFF 947A
P LHR/OFF 957A
P BGR/ETA 1128A FLIGHT DECK CREW
F BGR/ETD 104P
F SFO/ETA 431P L04.01
D FCF/FSTOP BGR ENRT LHR-SFO A/FLIGHT DECK CREW

SKED LHR ORIG 920A GTD B33 SHIP 2897
SFO 1230P TERM GTA 80
One of the pilots got sick so now there’s only two instead of the augmented three required thus this diversion.

Any situation with a crew change issue like this is done at a stateside airport to avoid the additional delay/hassle of Canadian customs.

If this situation occurs going to EWR we usually swap crews in BOS.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:02 am
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BGR is also 700 miles from YYR. It's not as though these are all co-terminals.

BGR also has scheduled service from a number of airports, including UA from EWR. A lot easier to reunite a reserve pilot by flying her to BGR if the logistics work.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:12 am
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It is more than a tad ridiculous and frankly a lack of hospitality for the passengers not being able to stretch their legs in some kind of terminal.

What about border security? Goose Bay is as secure as you can get. It is not like you can walk out and hop on a bus to somewhere. You can either go south or west on a single road, and we are talking hundreds of miles before reaching major towns. Even small hamlets are separated by huge distances. Can't seriously expect passengers to suddenly elope Canadian immigration laws.

In Saint-John, Gander or even Sept-Iles, sure (even if it would be farfetched). But Goose Bay? Good luck with that!

Canadian authorities are making a mountain out of a molehole by not letting people out to stretch their legs.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:21 am
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It's their country and Canada can make the rules they consider appropriate.
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Old Feb 6, 2019, 8:59 am
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
It's their country and Canada can make the rules they consider appropriate.
Correction. It is my country.

I come from that region.

It is just a stupid bureaucrat in Ottawa that is not thinking in practical terms. Not reflective of the country in general.
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