Originally Posted by
iahflyr
Worstpilotever is correct in that it will only require one additional 787 to add BKK and SGN. Turbosina is also correct in that it’s not the same one plane that will be used to fly HKG-BKK and HKG-SGN everyday.
You need slightly more than 1 plane to operate HKG-BKK and HKG-SGN. That will come from efficiency gained for the long haul flights coming into HKK. What worstpilotever was trying to say is that only one of the new 787 deliveries will be used to add BKK and SGN service. The rest will come from more efficient use of the long haul planes flying into HKG.
I tried to find a correct argument in friendlypilot’s post but I could not find one.
Originally Posted by
FriendlyPilot
That still takes 6 planes. You have a plane going from LAX-HKG. Then it goes to BKK and sits for 7 hours and then flies back. Then it flies back to LAX.
Another plane has to do the same thing and go through SGN.
That whole event can't be done with 4 planes because 15 + 3 +3 +13 is 34 hours, plus its on the ground 4 times (one of which is 7 hours and the other 2 times its over 2 hours.
So if you took snapshots of 787s Flying LAX-HKG-BKK-HKG-LAX and LAX-HKG-BKK-HKG-LAX at different times you'd see between 4 and 6 planes.
Also your "1 plane theory" does work with the published schedule. you have a plane that doesn't land until 0935 but its taking off at 0900. That's 2 planes. Plus 4 to fly 2 daily HKGs back and forth. 6 total.
for FriendlyPilot and anyone else confused by network planning, when in doubt track the aircraft flow:
It currently takes ONE 787-9 THREE DAYS to do the entire routing:
LAX(am)-HKG-LAX(pm)-HKG-LAX(am). [69:15 hrs for this routing, current/old schedule] (3 days)
That's THREE planes to fly this currently on a daily basis.
New routings:
LAX(am)-HKG-SGN-HKG-LAX(am) [44:55 hrs for this routing, new sched] (or 2 days!) AND ALSO
LAX(pm)-HKG-BKK-HKG-LAX(pm) [44:30 hrs for this routing, new sched] (2 days as well)
That's FOUR planes to fly two routings that take two days each.
A increase of only one 787-9 to complete the circuit(s).
Part of the utilization time benefit is also reduced 787-9 sit in LAX.
(6:05 on the current pm LAX "turn" to a max of 3:30 on the new schedule)
Of course, the SFO flights to/from HKG are irrelevant, since they utilize 777s timed for the connections.