Fuelling when boarding??
 

Hi there.

If there is any easyjet pilots in here, or others with inside information about easyjet procedures, then can you pleace clarify for me by which rules easyjet operates, or anyone tell me what i do not understand about the rules and regulations when fuelling a passenger aircraft.

The question comes as I was waiting to boarde EZY7132 from Basel to Liverpool on the 14Th of December.
It goes as follows:

-The plane arrives at the gate
-Fueltruck pulles up and doors gets disarmed and opened.
-Fueltruck waits while passengers disembark
-As everyone is out (so it seemed), the fueltruck gets connected and clearly starts fuelling.
-Whilst fuelling is in progress, cabincrew and ground staff helps two wheelchair-users out of the aircraft and down the steps.
-When this is completed, one outgoing wheelchair user enters the stairs and gets lifted up in the cabin...... fuelling is still in progress.
-The rest of us is told to wait with boarding, as we can not boarde when fuelling is in progress!!

Now, in the company where I work, we can fuelle with passengers onboard provided they are all seated with their seatbelts unlocked, and the cabincrew is at their stations.

We can not fuelle with passengers entering or exiting from the aircraft.

I have not looked this up in the JAR-OPS manuals yet, so can only refer to the procedures used in the company I fly in myself, and what i can remember from the classrooms and lawbooks during my ATPL.

Can someone confirm that it is legal to fuelle when crew is lifting passengers on and off the aircraft?? And if it is, where is it stated?? - Just to make it easy for myself to read up on it again if nessesary :ugh:

Depends where it was - Spain: fuelling while boarding prohibited unless airport fire service in attendance; UK: no problem, but there are certain procedures which need to be followed simliar to those you mention (i.e. seatbelts off, rear slide area clear etc etc). In any case, specific company procedures will apply but must abide by local regulations.

Just because the ground staff told you that delayed boarding was due to refuelling, doesn't mean that was true - more likely the crew were giving the wheelchair-using passengers time to get settled properly before filling the cabin with a scrum of seat-grabbing pax.

There are regulations regarding fueling with PAX and onboard and whilst embarking and disembarking. They vary by company, country, airport and sometimes by shift. Every Rrrrs wants to play the "safety game" so you ask the Handling Agent what the status is when you are in the position of being able to refuel with PAX on board. And don't confuse having the fuel truck plugged in to process of being refuelling.

Not strictly true. At certain Spanish airports you can fuel with the fire crews 'In Alert' as opposed to 'In Attendance' (actually at the aircraft). In Alert means they are notified which aircraft/ stand is fuelling with pax on and don't attend as routine. I believe they have a limit (2 a/c from memory) that can use In Alert at any one time. You have to request it through the handling agent on arrival and they tell you if you can or not.....

PP

fuelling
 

all of the above is basicaly true, however some airports rules differ from others, even in the same county. ie some req fire tenders in attendance and all doors open with steps at the A/C

Didn't know that Pete - I'll investigate next time I'm down there.

Gary

My list published by the company is;

Airport In Alert Available

ACE yes
AGP no
ALC yes
BCN no
FUE yes
GRO yes
IBZ yes
LEI yes
LPA no
MAH no
MJV yes
PMI yes
REU yes
SPC no
TFN no
TFS yes
VLC yes
XRY yes

And the number of aircraft that can have the service at any one time appears to vary from airport to airport, as does availability on various stand positions. Presumably due to access for the firecrews and response time due to distance etc.

Some you can request on the VHF inbound, others when on stand. Hope this helps.

PP

ps In Alert incurs no charge, whereas In Attendance does, that's why our company advocate it's use.

Easyjet will normally refuel during the boarding/disembarking process, so long as the flight deck has at least one crew member in attendance for as long as this complies with any local restrictions. It is however standard practice for them to request that boarding is delayed whilst pre-boards/wheelchairs are seated by the cabin crew regardless of where they happen to be. I'm positive that this is the true explanation for your boarding delay.