Wow, PHL-Beijing, talk about range. Cool airplane. In flight school I used to drool over the 777 when it was being flight tested. I remember standing under the approach end of the runway and watching the test mule fly over.

G

Other rumors include AMR/LCC looking at 5 Air India 777LRs for sale to add to fleet for NEW ultra long range destinations.

AI to sell five Boeing 777 planes

http://www.boeing.com/assets/pdf/com.../777_photo.pdf

Boeing: Range Capability From New York

Rumor has it Kirby has said MIA would be a good jumping-off point for Africa flying. Delta is the only US carrier flying to JNB right now. I would think with Qatar coming to Oneworld, Doha might start to look interesting from the east coast hubs.

I know the 777 has the legs to do PHL-PEK, but is 10500' enough runway? I'd think so, but don't know the 777 performance well enough to answer that definitively.

I'd think HKG would have appeal from multiple hubs with the onward connections available via Cathay on that end and our hubs on this end.

Lots of interesting ways to connect a much larger field of dots when the deal closes ...

I thought we (US) gave up the Beijing authority.

I thought so too, but figured EMB was an east pilot who probably knew more about PHL.

G

I'm pretty sure we gave it up. DOT denied US extension to start service to PEK so we lost it.......

As long as we are tossing out rumors...... 3 330s to come to PHX within a year to fly to LHR and Tokyo, don't know if they plan Haneda or Narita. Some 319s in PHX to go east, some more 321s in PHX.

It will be interesting to see what happens. We just got a differences bulletin on the CFMs and we can expect to see east metal on west crewed jets after POR.

I heard they're going to keep the exterior window dressings on those Air India planes and incorporate that into the new livery. Now they just need to figure out how to get the curry flavor out of those planes!

Maybe we did. I'm still fairly new. I've just been hearing rumors that we still had the route authority and just lacked the equipment to fly it. I've been wrong before. Just ask my wife.

Many of these rumors could be easily dismissed by reading the MOU between APA and USAPA.

All transpacific (Asia) flying will be performed by current APA pilots.

I highly doubt the rumor about Asia flying out of PHX. That would mean APA pilots on the 330 doing the flying out of PHX. Like I said - highly unlikely.