European Delays Getting Worse?
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So how about, legislation which forces airlines to publish historical on-time rates alongside their departure times? I strongly believe its false advertising otherwise. The at least people can make a more informed decision. People will vote with their feet, airlines will be forced to improve.
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The last 25 years have shown that price tops everything. One simple example. In the UK about 7 years ago, one petrol station chain responded to the customer request about the good old days when you could request the attendant to dispense the fuel. This was introduced with a small fee. How long did the experiment last?
I won't start discussion on how the regulators tend not to be always on the side of pax, suffice to say the the Tombstone Imperative still holds sway.
I won't start discussion on how the regulators tend not to be always on the side of pax, suffice to say the the Tombstone Imperative still holds sway.
The question is - how much more would you, and the rest of the travelling public, be prepared to pay in higher fares for the privilege of flying in an aircraft that has spent longer on the ground and less time in the air, and therefore has significantly less revenue-earning potential ?
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The question is - how much more would you, and the rest of the travelling public, be prepared to pay in higher fares for the privilege of flying in an aircraft that has spent longer on the ground and less time in the air, and therefore has significantly less revenue-earning potential ?
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It's worse than we think - even if I , as CEO of Harry Airways, decree that my airline will build in more recovery time it doesn't make much difference if Birdseed, O'Leary and Squeezzy continue their bad habits - the whole airline business is now really an LCO model and EVERYONE is pushing turnaround times and utilisation to the limits - all airports are clogged and schedules disrupted all the time
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The system that currently exists is clogged. There are too many flights, insufficient controllers, strange national ATC boundaries, restrictive rules and precious little investment in modernisation. Couple that to rapacious management who flog their employees to death and you end up with what we have today. Only a fraction of flights will arrive on time, most will be delayed on departure and at times enroute. The problem has been getting gradually worse for years yet the marvellous Eurocrats who are responsible have done nothing to fix it. And if they do try, who pays? Squeezing and extra pound out of a LoCo passenger to fund ATC when they have only paid 99p might be difficult, especially if another quid is required to ensure they have a pilot.
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PM
Piltdown, One begs to differ with your generalisation. The system is not clogged 'per se'. In central Europe I would think that there are 'enough' controllers, although there could be more. The problem to my mind is that 'managers' and HR have taken over the situation, leading to the 'optimum solution' result. In the ATC world this is never a problem solver as there are too many variables. The so-called Eurocrats you mention are not the problem, one presumes you are meaning Brussels... ie. the EU. The ATC management involved within Europe (39 +/- countries) is tasked to Eurocontrol, also headquartered in Brussels but also responsible for the Maastricht UAC in The Netherlands. This ATC centre was the first multi-national unit opened in 1972 and since then has been a forerunner for ATC in Europe. Direct routings were started there when the Brussels upper airspace was active under Eurocontrol before moving to Maastricht. I know as I was there and part of it until 2013. Telephone calls to 'France control' for direct Pontoise and EVX were the norm... and we later built on that in all directions. This is the basis if the modern European flexible airspace model.
As an aside, I remember in 1971, I believe, a Caledonian B707 out of Gatwick to Singapore and that was the first time I had seen WSSS on a flight plan. He requested a 'direct anywhere as we are trying for the record'. I called Rhine to ask direct KRH (Karlsruhr) and asked them to coordinate further. We eventually received direct Klagenfurt and he was sent on his way. Two days later I read in the Daily Telegraph that a Caledonian B707 had broken the record for a non-stop flight to Singapore. Nice feeling that and it was just the beginning.
As an aside, I remember in 1971, I believe, a Caledonian B707 out of Gatwick to Singapore and that was the first time I had seen WSSS on a flight plan. He requested a 'direct anywhere as we are trying for the record'. I called Rhine to ask direct KRH (Karlsruhr) and asked them to coordinate further. We eventually received direct Klagenfurt and he was sent on his way. Two days later I read in the Daily Telegraph that a Caledonian B707 had broken the record for a non-stop flight to Singapore. Nice feeling that and it was just the beginning.
HH,
It's not just the unions, it's the DGCAs too. But you are right about the need for a total European solution.
It's not just the unions, it's the DGCAs too. But you are right about the need for a total European solution.
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It is still possible to be punctual within Europe - last year and the year before Iberia was the most punctual network carrier in the world and Iberia Express the most punctual LCC.
I worked tangentially with Iberia on their initiatives to build this position and they took a forensic approach, invested heavily to "fix" their problems and then applied intelligent cost cutting. See also the IAG annual report for major improvements at BA, VY and EI. A former colleague of mine always opined "you can't be profitable and punctual". Willie may be proving him wrong.
I worked tangentially with Iberia on their initiatives to build this position and they took a forensic approach, invested heavily to "fix" their problems and then applied intelligent cost cutting. See also the IAG annual report for major improvements at BA, VY and EI. A former colleague of mine always opined "you can't be profitable and punctual". Willie may be proving him wrong.
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Porky, are you able to share some of the initiatives that have been most successful? And what exactly do you mean a forensic approach - was this a six sigma-esque analysis into the cause of delay, or a different approach?
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Yes it was and yes I would be happy to (for a fee of course!). I note your location HKG, I fly through there regularly and they could use my help!
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Thanks! I'm personally not quite your target market though, just curious if there was any best practice learnings...
But yes, as a regular item of SLF through HKG if you can reduce some of the delays here it would be much appreciated
But yes, as a regular item of SLF through HKG if you can reduce some of the delays here it would be much appreciated
Poor punctuality has various implications. One is that carriers, in trying for the same number of rotations per day, have pushed first wave start times forward from the old 0730 to nearer 0600, while at the other end scheduled arrival times close to midnight, with regular late arrivals of 0100 etc, are increasingly common. One knock-on is that such times make public transport to/from the airport increasingly impossible, the opposite of general policy, although if it drives up airport revenue from increased car parking that must be, secretly of course, pleasing them.
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Not to mention the taxi drivers who, apart fdrom charging us a late night supplement, also have to pay a high levy to the airport.
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Couple of personal comments...
Local airport is MAN. Due to security delays, most first wave flights leave 30-45 minutes late. With tight turnarounds a 4/6 sector aircraft on tight turnaround never recovers during the day.
Airlines such as RYR with 25 minute turnarounds frequently fail to achieve this at all but the quietest / most organised stations. On RYR I normally book the central overwing exit seats - from there it’s often a 10-15 wait to exit the aircraft, there’s no way they can achieve 25 minute turns. The delays build despite their schedule padding.
Some airlines pad their schedules like crazy to compensate. Example - was on an EK flight from DEL to DXB yesterday.
Left 25 late due to ‘late arrival of aircraft from DXB’ -
we actually arrived into DXB 15 early despite arriving into the busiest flight wave bank and once round the hold on approach. So on a schedule 3 hour flight we ‘made up’ 40 minutes despite a 10 minute hold. How is that ‘possible’? Airlines will just pad their published schedules further if enough people complain. Nothing ‘real’ will change!.....
Local airport is MAN. Due to security delays, most first wave flights leave 30-45 minutes late. With tight turnarounds a 4/6 sector aircraft on tight turnaround never recovers during the day.
Airlines such as RYR with 25 minute turnarounds frequently fail to achieve this at all but the quietest / most organised stations. On RYR I normally book the central overwing exit seats - from there it’s often a 10-15 wait to exit the aircraft, there’s no way they can achieve 25 minute turns. The delays build despite their schedule padding.
Some airlines pad their schedules like crazy to compensate. Example - was on an EK flight from DEL to DXB yesterday.
Left 25 late due to ‘late arrival of aircraft from DXB’ -
we actually arrived into DXB 15 early despite arriving into the busiest flight wave bank and once round the hold on approach. So on a schedule 3 hour flight we ‘made up’ 40 minutes despite a 10 minute hold. How is that ‘possible’? Airlines will just pad their published schedules further if enough people complain. Nothing ‘real’ will change!.....
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Bear in mind that it's not just padding that contributes to an early arrival on long hauls but tail winds too. I'm no scheduler but I would assume that scheds are calculated on known upper wind averages and known airport congestion at certain peak times etc. It's not unusual to leave the gate at JFK 30 mins behind schedule, taxi for 45 mins before taking off and, thanks to a particularly powerful jet stream, arrive at your European destination 30-60 mins ahead of schedule! It is much more difficult to make up time on short sectors.
