Turnaround Times

[ryand36]

Hey

Is there a set limit to the minimum time a plane can be turned around in? Also is there a rough guide for each airline, for example does BA say that their 747 flights have to have a minimum turnaround of 2 hours?

Thanks for your help?

[brs planespotter]

turnarounds

at brs,first choice 757s,tck a320s a hr.easyjets a319s and b73s 25 mins!hope this help

[muduckace]

The only factor that prevents an aircraft from turning quicker is break temperature. Otherwise all the rest is performance based.

[spannersatcx]

We generally work on 90 mins for 744/340, depends on how good the cleaners/caterers/handlers are. This is for ULH scheduled service. Sometimes the schedule allows for a longer ground time.

[Rainboe]

The only factor that prevents an aircraft from turning quicker is break temperature. Otherwise all the rest is performance based.

Not at all correct. The brakes are not usually a factor unless you are doing multiple legs in a short time. There is a tremendous amount to do on turnarounds- cabin cleaning, refuelling, re-catering, toilet restocking, checklists, disembarking and boarding, baggage and freight unloading and loading. I don't know how some of the locos do 25 minute turnarounds. We do 50 minute turnarounds but cater more and carry a wider spectrum of freight, and large refuelling for long range can take a considerable time. Brake temperatures hardly ever figure...at all.

[Skipness One Echo]

at brs,first choice 757s,tck a320s a hr.easyjets a319s and b73s 25 mins!hope this help

easyJet aim for a 25 minute turn as do Ryanair. The larger B757 needs more time, approaching an hour + due to having more passengers to board and de-plane, and more leeway in the schedule.

[WHBM]

Originally Posted by Rainboe

I don't know how some of the locos do 25 minute turnarounds.

By some very close Operational Research into what is needed, in what sequence, and then ensuring all are trained and work to detailed procedures. The credit for devising this approach is often given to Southwest Airlines in the USA, but in fact Southwest learned the skill from PSA, a California internal airline of the 1960s-80s.

There are also some poor procedures to facilitate this - for example on Ryanair I have experienced the catering being left off because there weren't the couple of minutes remaining to load it, a typical example of "we could run the airline efficiently if it weren't for the passengers". When this was described to us I said I hoped a more professional approach had been taken with the fuel, which earned me a frosty stare ......

Another factor behind some lo-cos short turnround times is that they have generous scheduled block times, and thus it is normal for them to arrive slightly early. It really is the same thing if you schedule a block time of 1:00 followed by a 30-minute turnround, or 1:10 followed by a 20-minute turnround.

[Groundloop]

Boeing typical turnround times can be found on Boeing's website.

For the 747 here:-

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/air...s/7474sec5.pdf

For the 737 here:-

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/air...ps/737sec5.pdf

And similar data for other Boeing types on their relevant pages. Scroll down towards the bottom for the time breakdown of the various actions involved.

[CV880]

Back in my youthful past I turned a 747 in 16 minutes to avoid an unscheduled overnight stop due to a hard curfew. Transit pax stayed on board, no cleaning, minimal catering, 2 bowsers hooked up to refuel for a 2.5 hour flight instead of the usual one and I was giving the fuel uplift figures to the F/E over the intercom on pushback and the crew were still starting engines while taxying to the runway as they had to be ready to TO at midnight or they were toast due to frequent previous curfew violations.

[clearasmud154]

Each airline is different depending on their own requirements; I seem to recall GSM were 35mins for a full offload/clean/cater/fuel/onload on a full 189 seater 738 which was nigh on bloody impossible; I only managed it twice and even then it was purely by good fortune! One spin in particular was SCHEDULED for 20mins... I can safely say that was never accomplished!

FCA and MON IIRC were both 60mins for 320/321/752/763, and I think Zoom were also 60mins for the 763. The Spanish charter carriers tend to work on an "as quick as you can basis", but 45-50mins seems to be the norm.

For BA's fleet IIRC the following applies for off-schedule spins; I think some international outstations have slightly longer/shorter spins depending on local contractual agreements:

RJ100 - 30mins
737, A319 - 35mins
A320 - 40mins
757, A321 - 45mins
767 - 60mins
777 - 75mins
747 - 90mins

I'll double check the big book of stuff when I get a chance!


cam154