A319 Airstairs
It's available as an option on all the A320 family. Not many airlines have gone for it, the orginal (ex BCAL) BA ones have got them but not seen them in use anywhere else. Suspect Easy may go for them on thier new aircraft. They are a complicated folding mechanism that retracts into a hatch under the front left door to lie underneath the galley floor. Weighs about 300kg I think.
And the easyJet aircraft won't have them.
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Yeah must be at least 2 years since I remember seeing them in use at LHR. Shame we don't have them on our Bus's, the 737's I used to fly had them and it was so handy to be self-contained and not have to wait for steps to be bought to the a/c.
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The majority of A320 family aircraft that have airstairs seem to be the corporate / military use ones. Those airlines which did go for them in the early days (BCal a good example) probably did so to have a degree of self-sufficiency on charter routes, etc. but there is no need on BA services.
They are too steep and narrow for regular passenger service....far more so than the 737 airstairs. Corporate use (a few passengers a day, if that!) is fine, but when you're talking hundreds of passengers a day, including elderly, frail, and kids, they are less than ideal.
Also very expensive and add weight so increased fuel-burn. These savings by NOT carrying airstairs largely offset the extra cost of providing steps at airports where an airbridge is not used.
They are too steep and narrow for regular passenger service....far more so than the 737 airstairs. Corporate use (a few passengers a day, if that!) is fine, but when you're talking hundreds of passengers a day, including elderly, frail, and kids, they are less than ideal.
Also very expensive and add weight so increased fuel-burn. These savings by NOT carrying airstairs largely offset the extra cost of providing steps at airports where an airbridge is not used.
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Air Stairs
As a ramp trainer I can confirm that many aircraft that were fitted with air stairs A320 / 737 have had them removed particularly in the UK. If not as commented thay are not used as 'risk assessments' have shown them to be unsafe in many situations. They are not pax friendly and are steep and narrow which is why little use in the UK now.
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May also have something to do with the proliferation of "jetways" at most of today's airports.
Another nugget of "air stair" info: US Gov. operated 74s, including Air Force One, have self contained air stairs built into the forward lower belly.
Another nugget of "air stair" info: US Gov. operated 74s, including Air Force One, have self contained air stairs built into the forward lower belly.
I stand to be corrected here but from my hazy memory I seem to recall that one of the reasons airstairs were de-activated and then subsequently removed from the A320 was not due to their steepness and complexity, but that the fairing door microswitches were not up to the job and were giving "DOOR OPEN" ECAM messages in flight.
I can never recall the airstairs being used and as a result of in service problems the control CB's were permanently pulled and collared.
The airlines ordering the A320 at the time (I'm going back to 1988/89 here) had little need for airstairs and coupled with the natural concerns the crews had with the in flight indications, they were rapidly done away with.
I can never recall the airstairs being used and as a result of in service problems the control CB's were permanently pulled and collared.
The airlines ordering the A320 at the time (I'm going back to 1988/89 here) had little need for airstairs and coupled with the natural concerns the crews had with the in flight indications, they were rapidly done away with.
