One of the most fundamental pieces of economics for the airline industry is that airplanes don't make money sitting on the ground.

Quick turnarounds are at the heart of business plans for low cost carriers. Southwest airlines does not use an auto-breaking system on landing so that their brakes can cool during the quick turnaround period (and this led to the fatal crash at MDW). Wide body jets like the 767, 777, and 747 have two jet bridges to speed up in the loading of the 300+ passengers.

But why has no airline created a double jet bridge to board and deplane passengers from the front and rear of narrow body aircraft like the 737 and A320??? GENIUS! Passengers deplane twice as quick, they board twice as quick, and it is much less hassle for the passenger. It is especially helpful when there is a late arriving aircraft, and it can be turned much quicker to help prevent delays and misconnects throughout the system. United is now testing these new gates at DEN and plans to phase them into operations around 2007. (http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/tic...ymbol=US:UALAQ)

Why has no other airline thought this through? Why has it taken so long for an airline to implement this design? Any insights. Is this much more complicated than I make it out to be?
Thanks for your input.

 

Jetblue has studied this extensively but the technology does not currently exsist to take a jetbridge over the wing of a narrow body airplane which is how they would have to do it. Good idea though.

 

yeah, it's a function of trying to wrap a jetway around a wing. that would be some amazing engineering.

 

Southwest Airlines already does double-jetbridge boarding and deboarding at some airports in Texas. I don't remember which, but AUS, DAL, and HOU maybe.

 

I flew on a Continental flight to SXM this summer (737), and at SXM they deplaned using both front and rear left doors. What miracle of engineering led to this rapid deplaning? Airstairs at both exits. This is obviously not a fix for an entire network of airports, but a few warm and dry airports operating like this can save a bit of time and money.

 

We must immediately notify the NTSB, as this revelation will most certainly speed, if not conclude, the accident investigation process.




(BTW, it's auto-braking, not auto-breaking.)








The truth only hurts if it should.

 

UAL apparently needs a so called engineering marvel to throw money at in DEN. they just abandoned the automated baggage handler, and now this...

 

SWA tried this about five years ago at KAUS. It obviously didn't work.

I have seen JetBlue using stairs at the rear for KFLL boarding. They load the back from the stairs and the front from the jetway. I don't know if it helps, but the time I rode with them, it seemed to create more confusion that help.

 

Interesting. Wether I use auto-brakes or manual brakes the brake temperatures increase. Now while I am sitting at the gate the brakes cool regardless of what manner I used to stop. How can that be?

 

Amen! The only way I know how to make brakes cool faster is to use brake fans (if installed).