Unloading the SLF

[jet_noseover]

Seems the new technology for United did not work too well...

United Airlines officials said one of the company's new dual-door jet bridges malfunctioned and struck the wing of a United 757 at Denver International Airport today as it was positioning to unload the plane around noon.

None of the 176 passengers and eight crew members of United flight 965, which had arrived from Boston, were injured, United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said.

Passengers and crew exited the plane through the functioning front door and bridge, she said.

In September, United said it was leading the airline industry in introducing fully automated dual-end jet bridges at DIA, which allow the boarding and de-planing of passengers from front and rear doors simultaneously.

United has five of the dual-end jet bridges at DIA, McCarthy said. They are computer-guided and driven, and use a combination of artificial vision and sensors to locate the plane's doors and drive the front and rear bridges to their docking positions, according to information United released last year.

The unit's rear bridge, the one that malfunctioned, is supposed to travel over the wing to dock with the plane's rear door. The devices are made by Dewbridge Airport Systems and carry the trade name DoubleDocker.

United owns the jet bridges, but DIA maintains them, McCarthy said. "We're doing a complete investigation with the airport and the manufacturer" to find out why the bridge hit the wing.

"We're still trying to figure out exactly what happened," DIA spokesman Steve Snyder said.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_5558605

[MarcJF]

and your point is?

[jet_noseover]

Some here might find it interesting United is geared to utilize both exits to disembark.
Disappointing the craft (wing) was damaged.

Now, think if the passengers were on the bridge when it gave way...

Take your head out of yer tush. If you see no point, why bother to reply?

[llondel]

LoCos in Europe (at least Ryanair and Easyjet) have loaded/unloaded using both doors for some time, except they're cheap enough to do it with steps and let the pax walk on the tarmac. I assume the airports charge them more for the bridge, or is it just that it takes longer to get one set up that detracts from the turnaround?

[jet_noseover]

llondel,,

A bit different technique from the United way... wouldn't you say?

[weasil]

There are some pictures here.
http://www.9news.com/9slideshows/DIA...fault.aspx?N=3

[niknak]

llondel,

You are spot on - airport authorities charge for use of airbridges, unless the airline concerned already has a deal going with them, i.e exclusive use of a terminal or part thereof.

[Two's in]

At Dulles (IAD) they have those weird telescopic height busses that used to suck the pax out of the front and back - do they still use those? Would appear to make more sense than exploring the mechanical properties of a cantilever structure by suspending it over the wing of a $50M aircraft.

[J.O.]

The dual lane bridges have quite a history of landing on wings. I know of two or three that have occurred in Calgary and Vancouver alone. I'm sure someone is balancing the convenience factor with the costs of damaging airplanes, but surely there's some better technologies that can prevent them from dropping on wings so often.

[ABX]

Hi Jetsy et al,

Does anyone know the extent of the damage to the a/c? Would be a pretty expensive error if they have to replace the wing!

Cheers,

ABX

[weasil]

Yeah they still use those strange moon vehicle like buses at Dulles. They are building a train/walkway under the ramp to connect the terminals though and will phase the buses out eventually.

[jet_noseover]

ABX,

greetings....
That one be a costly fix. Too bad,,, since all meant well...

PS,,,
I am on the look out for the pix of the injured jet engine that shed it's part(s) over Chicago. Cargo...


Remember - grandma found it's parts in her bed(room).....?

[ABX]

Hehehe, yeah I remember that thread Jetsy, I've been waiting for the pictures too.

I'll go and stir that thread up a bit and see if we can revive it and maybe get those pix.

Cheers Mate,

ABX

[ABO944]

I find it amazing that people can't be patient and wait a few minutes to get off the aircraft!

This type of airbridge would be welcomed on the side of a B747 or A380, but 757 ...

[ChristiaanJ]

I find it amazing that people can't be patient and wait a few minutes to get off the aircraft!

Well, even with a mere 737, full-up, shuffling down the entire length of the cabin takes more than a "few" minutes. Using front and back doors cuts that down by half. Probably slightly speeds up the turn-around too, so both SLF and company gain by it.

[CargoOne]

llondel
It very depends from airport you operating to, handling company and handling contract. Let's say that generally it is more expensive to have 2x stairs + 2x (or even 4x for a bigger aircraft) apron bus runs than just 1x bridge if you looking on official handling service price list. Same time it is problematical to get a brigde stand especially at peak times at most airports.

[llondel]

CargoOne:

Thanks for the comment on costs, although it's worth noting that at Stansted, it seems fairly common to have the aircraft parked adjacent to a bridge but still use stairs. I had other things on my mind last time (stairs and 1.5 sprained ankles don't mix) but I have vague recollection that the Ryanair 737 has its own stairs, at least at the front. Presumably that's even more of a saving in running costs, just pax on the tarmac and hold the door open at the base of the bridge.

[Self Loading Freight]

I find it amazing that people can't be patient and wait a few minutes to get off the aircraft!

You've got 90 minutes in your schedule to make your connection. You are running an hour late on arrival. How many minutes make 'a few'?

Or: you know just how long the immigration queue is going to be. If you're at the back, that's another half hour standing around after twelve in the air. If you're at the front, you'll be at your hotel sipping that reviving martini before the last person's managed to make it off the plane...

Time spent hanging around the gate is dead time, for pax and the airline. Reducing it, even by a little, will save tons of money and wasted life over the number of flights and passengers it benefits.

R

[Eboy]

"fully automated dual-end jet bridges at DIA"

By the way, did they ever get DIA's "fully-automated" baggage handling system working?