Boarding an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 at Burbank. Image by Colin Cook.
It used to be that most major airlines shared commonalities in the way they boarded passengers. However it seems that each airline has so their own boarding processes that it’s hard to keep up. Sure, the way an airline boards likely won’t sway a decision on which airline to fly, I wanted to put together a list of how some of the major airlines operate their boarding process.
As one would expect, the majority of airlines give priority boarding to their elite level fliers. Having personally achieved even a low level MVP with Alaska Airlines I can say that I would never want to go back to being just ’œone of the herd.’ While I haven’t gone on a ’œmileage run’, there are many well documented stories of folks taking a quick trip just for the sake of achieving elite-level status.
With precious overhead space and many airlines now charging for checked luggage it’s become a race to get on board as early as possible. While some low cost carriers are now charging for carry-on bags, the major US airlines typically allow one carry-on bag (i.e. a roller bag or other bag for the overhead bin) and one personal item (laptop bag, purse, backpack, etc). Since many travelers are now bringing a large carry-on bag, boarding times have soared. An article in the New York Times suggested that boarding a plane with 140 people in the 1970’s took about 15 minutes which has more than doubled to 30-40 minutes.
Without further adieu, here is how the various airlines handle their boarding procedures (a small note: these are all the boarding requirements as found by AirlineReporter.com at the time of publishing. These change frequently, so please add any changes/ideas to the comments and listen to all gate announcements for proper boarding proceedures):
How does Air Tran board? ’“ This airline’s boarding procedures will undoubtedly change as the integration into Southwest takes place over time. Southwest operates a 737 only fleet and is in the process of subleasing Air Tran’s Boeing 717 planes to Delta. Presently, Air Tran pre-boards unaccompanied minors, passengers traveling with an infant, and passengers needing special assistance prior to general boarding. Like many other airlines, Air Tran utilizes a zone boarding process.
How does Alaska Airlines board? ’“ Being based in the Pacific Northwest, I fly Alaska more than any other airline. Their boarding process is pretty straightforward. They don’t mess around with zones or boarding groups and have a seemingly more streamlined approach. They begin with preboarding ’“ those customers who are traveling with children or need some additional time to get down the jet way. After preboarding, they invite First Class, Alaska Airlines MVP and 75k elite level fliers. Next are passengers seated in row six of the main cabin (bulkhead row at the front of economy) and Alaska MVPs and partner elites. After that, they board from the rear of the plane starting with passengers seated in row 15 and higher. Finally they open to general boarding at that point. It’s a pretty well organized system and tends to work well.
Boarding an Allegiant MD-80 in Bellingham. Image from David Parker Brown / AirlineReporter.com.
How does Allegiant board? ’“ Allegiant offers many different add-ons to their standard fare and does a nice job of providing ala carte service where you can add additional services to their basic fare. Among their options are Priority Boarding for $9.99 (allows you to board first), Premium Seat Selection $9.99 (an assigned seat near the front or exit row), Standard Seat Assignment $6.99 (assigned seat towards the back of the plane). You can certainly opt to fly without paying any of those additional fees, but be prepared to sit in a middle seat. Their boarding process allows people that paid for priority boarding to board first, followed by those who need a little extra time. Then passengers who paid for the standard seat assignment are allowed to board followed by those who do not have seat assignments but have young children. Lastly it goes to open seating and people get to fend for them self to find an open seat.
How does American Airlines board? ’“ American is one of the airlines that actually disclose their boarding process on their website. Many airlines do not give a specific process but simply expect you to pay attention when you get to the airport. American employs a process similar to most of the other legacy carriers in that they give priority to elites and then general boarding. Their process consists of preboarding First Class, Uniformed Military, AAdvantage Executive Platinum, and oneworld Emerald. On aircraft with three class service, Business Class is boarded next. The next group consists of AAdvantage Platinum and oneworld Sapphire, followed by Priority AAccess and oneworld Ruby. From there, American is in the home stretch boarding groups 1-4. Of course this could all be changing with the airline merging with US Airways.
How does Delta Air Lines board? ’“ The world’s largest airline by passengers carried and fleet size has developed a good reputation among both business and leisure travelers. They utilize a zone boarding process similar to many of the other large airlines. They first offer preboarding to their Sky Miles Medallion elite level fliers (Diamond, Platinum, and Gold) and passengers traveling in the first class cabin. On international flights they then invite passengers traveling in BusinessElite, Sky Miles Medallion Silver frequent fliers, and partner elites to board. Delta then begins general boarding via a zone process beginning from the rear of the aircraft. Depending on the size of the plane and whether it is an international or domestic flight, Delta can have as many as nine different boarding groups.
How does Frontier Airlines board? ’“ Denver’s hometown airline has been undergoing some big changes in recent years. Frontier uses a zone boarding style similar to many other carriers, beginning with preboarding for passengers with special needs, which include passengers who need assistance and unaccompanied minors. Similarly to Jet Blue’s Silent Boarding group, they do not announce a special boarding for this group. The one nice thing is that you don’t have to make a reservation in advance for the extra time, whereas you do on Jet Blue. Frontier then invites their Summit Members to board which is the top tier of their EarlyReturns frequent flier program. They then begin priority boarding and Zone 1 which includes Ascent members (second tier of EarlyReturns), as well as people traveling on a Classic Plus fare or seated in Stretch seating. Next, they invite families with small children and passengers requiring additional time or assistance to board. They also have a separate boarding group here for people who are not utilizing overhead bins (it pays to pack lightly). After that, they begin boarding with Zone 2, which are passengers in Select seating. Finally, they board Zone 3 which is pretty much anyone else. So while Frontier technically only has three zones, they really have seven different boarding groups.
A JetBlue E-190 in Boston. Image from David Parker Brown / AirlineReporter.com.
How does JetBlue board?’“ As is typically true with most things JetBlue, they try to keep their boarding process simple. They begin with pre-boarding which they call Silent Boarding. This is a service that must be requested in advance and is designed for people who have requested or appear to need additional time boarding. The interesting bit is that they do not make a gate announcement (hence the Silent Boarding name), so it is up to you to request this service and show up at the right time. After Silent Boarding they begin priority boarding for Mosaic and Even More Space customers. Mosaic is their elite level program which has many of the same benefits as competitors (priority security lane, preferred seating, 2 free checked bags, bonus points, and dedicated customer service line). Even More Space is an option that you can select when booking and just like it name suggests you get more space.
JetBlue then invites families with children under the age of 2 and other individuals who need additional time to board. It’s interesting that they have their Silent Boarding and then a separate pre-board for people who may need additional time. Finally, they board from the rear of the aircraft forward in five row increments. This begins with individuals in rows 20-25, then 15-25, 10-25, and lastly 5-25.
How does Southwest Airlinesboard? ’“ Southwest is unique since they do not actually assign seats. So it’s still important to get a good boarding group to ensure a good seat and overhead storage. Their overall process contains a boarding group (A, B, or C) and a number (1-60) and they have passengers queue up in the boarding area in a line according to the boarding group and number. Some have called this process a “cattle call,” but really it seems like less people end up standing around waiting to be called than with other methods. Alternatively, you can buy a Business Select or EarlyBird Check-In to be among the first to board. For frequent fliers, it is a pretty simple boarding process, but it seems that people who do not fly often, easily get confused on how to board a Southwest plane.
How does Spirit Airlines board? ’“ Spirit is the ultimate King of low cost travel and their boarding process and baggage policies reflect that. Like Allegiant, their base fares are always amongst the lowest but Spirit is betting you will purchase additional services. They not only have fees for seat selection but also other amenities such as checked baggage and soft drinks on board. Spirit employs a zone boarding process similar to many airlines with some differences. They allow unaccompanied minors and others requiring assistance first, followed by folks sitting in their Big Front Seats (first row or two depending on aircraft that are in a 2-2 layout and have better seat pitch), and then the remaining zones 2, 3, & 4. The one difference is that they board from the front to the back.
How does United Airlines board? ’“ No sooner than I finished writing the original section on United, the airline made yet another change in their boarding process. This marks the fifth time in less than two years that the airline has changed their procedure. This is not surprising as mergers always result in some chaos, but it would seem smart for the airline to stick to one process for a while — hopefully this one will stick.
Under the new process, they begin with pre-boarding of customers with disabilities, Global Services, and uniformed military personnel. Following that, Group 1 is invited to board which included Global Services (for customers that did not pre-board), Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, and their premium cabins. Group 2 is essentially for all of the United and partner elite fliers including Premier Gold and Silver, Star Alliance Gold and Silver, MileagePlus Presidential Plus and Club cardholders, MileagePlus Explorer and Awards cardholders.
It’s interesting that United does not give greater priority to their Gold and Silver level fliers ’“ someone who holds their credit card is given the same boarding priority. United has really been pushing their Explorer credit card so it’s no surprise they used priority boarding as a selling point. United then opens up for groups 3-5 for general boarding from the rear of the aircraft. Unlike other airlines, they no longer give priority boarding to families traveling with infants or young children. Those families must board when their group number is called.
How does US Airways board? ’“ Much like other legacy carriers, US Airways uses a zone boarding process. They begin with preboarding of First Class / Envoy, Preferred members of their Dividend Miles program, and Star Alliance Gold members. After preboarding, zone 1 consists of the bulkhead row and exit row seats without under the seat storage. It’s interesting that they allow exit row seats without under the seat storage to board early. I realize that these folks have responsibilities since they are in the exit row, but does it really take them longer to board?
Zone 2 is made up of US Airways Premier World MasterCard holders, US Airways Visa Signature card holders, ChoiceSeats, and Exit row seats with under-the-seat storage. Much like United, they have given their credit card holders a priority boarding group. At least the elite members of their Dividend Miles program get a higher priority (United has the same boarding priority for Gold and Silver elites as they do for their credit card holders). Finally they board from the rear forward beginning with zones 3-5. It’s a fairly straightforward process which is nice.
Virgin American Airbus A320 at LAX. Image by David Parker Brown / AirlineReporter.com.
How does Virgin America board? ’“ Virgin American starts with allowing their First Class passengers to board before allowing folks with children and disabled people who need a little more time. Then they move on to Main Cabin Select, which are in the first row of economy and the exit rows so they have more legroom. The Main Cabin Select fare also comes with complimentary food and drinks and one free checked bag. After those two groups, they board the Main Cabin Express group. Ultimately, this is just an add-on that you can purchase to be among the first to board.
Being that I really like to be sit near the front and be able to get off the plane as soon as possible, this fare is quite appealing. Finally, they move on to a group based boarding process, starting with A and moving through the alphabet. I recall on one flight it went groups A-D, but on another it went A-F.
Hopefully this article can provide some insight the next time you are traveling and are curious about how different airlines board. In the comments, be sure to talk about your boarding experiences and which processes do you like (or hate the most)?
This story written by…Colin Cook, Correspondent.Colin is an avid AvGeek who works in finance and is based in the Seattle area. He has an immense passion for aviation and loves to travel as much as possible.
An American Airlines 757-200 at Los Angeles, a sight that can’t last forever – Photo: Mal Muir / AirlineReporter.com
If you fly long-haul in North America you have probably flown on a narrow bodied aircraft. Whether it be transcontinental flights between the coasts or flying transatlantic between the USA and Europe, the North American airlines just love to use these smaller, more efficient aircraft. For me, the daddy of these aircraft is the Boeing 757, which is no longer in production but still is the stalwart of the narrow bodies.
Flying with Delta, United, US Airways and American Airlines you will more than likely step onto a 757-200 or the super long 757-300 for a flight to Hawaii, New York or even London. But what happens when this aircraft goes out of service? What is there to replace it? As the 757s start to be retired from service due to age (US Airways is already doing this), the airlines are going to have to start replacing these aircraft with something… but what?
A Rough Chart showing Etops 60 vs Etops 120 between New York and London
You need to look first at what makes these aircraft so popular: the passenger to range ratio. The 757 has that unique mix of enough passengers on-board with the range to get it over an ocean or across a large continent without a hassle, while still maintaining reasonable fuel burn costs. The narrow body set up (single aisle) allows the flight to serve routes, and especially cities, which would not be able to handle the wide body (generally double aisle) aircraft such as the Boeing 767, Boeing 777 or Airbus A330.
Historically if you were going to fly long-haul you needed four engines. Even as far back as the Boeing 707 or the Douglas DC 8, these aircraft were designed to fly those long haul routes with engines for backup, should one fail. Then along came aircraft like the Boeing 757, 767 and Airbus A300. They only had two engines, but were still able to cover long distances over water with only minor changes.
Although ETOPS (Extended Range Twin Engine Operations) has been around for quite some time it had always been restricted 60 minutes, then it was extended to 120 minutes. The 120 extension came in to help flights across the Atlantic to London.
A United 757-300, the Aircraft that never ends – Photo: Mal Muir / AirlineReporter.com
At a 60 minute rating they would have to fly from New York to London over Iceland to ensure that there was a landing site in range within 60 minutes. With new engine & navigation technology, came the introduction of 120 rating (though 180 minute etops is now the standard). It meant you could go direct over the ocean without a worry, as half way across you would still be within 2 hours of Iceland or New York or London. This revolutionized air travel.
As technology progressed more, the ETOPS ratings extended out, with Boeing currently holding a 330 minute rating for the 777 & 787 aircraft. Airbus is expecting a 350 minute rating for the new A350 XWB.
Today, narrow body aircraft serve plenty of ETOPS routes. Alaska Airlines operates the Boeing 737-800 & 900 from the west coast to Hawaii and there are quite a few rumors that Southwest might join them with their 737-800’s as well.
The A320 family though does some interesting ETOPS flights as well. The Airbus A318, also known as the Baby Bus, flies across the Atlantic with British Airways and Air Canada Air Canada flies an A319; a long way to go on such a small aircraft. When you have long thin routes (long distance, small amount of passengers) you need to use an appropriate aircraft.
But which aircraft will most likely fill the gap that the 757 will leave? Boeing has the 737-900ER and variants of the new 737 Max as well. Airbus is offering the A321 and soon the A321neo.
The A320neo family should extend the range of this aircraft by a good 600 miles. This could be the difference of serving a route or not and combines the capacity of the original A321, with the range of an A319 (the aircraft in the Airbus narrow body family with the longest range).
American Airlines has selected the A321 to replace its aging 757-200s and 767-200s on its transcontinental routes. Hawaiian Airlines just ordered the A321neo to expand its ETOPS operations. Flights from Honolulu to Los Angeles for instance are in the range of an A321neo and by utilizing this aircraft, they can free up some of their A330s or 767s to serve other, longer routes or routes that need the higher capacity. The A321neo will allow them to expand to possible new markets that do not have the demand for the larger A330 or 767.
Mock up of what Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A321NEO will look like. Aircraft image from Airbus, edited by Brandon Farris.
The new Airbus A321neo and 737 9 MAX will change the narrow body long range family, as it takes over those routes the 757 currently serves. This will also put more 757s on the market and possibly low cost carriers like Allegiant Air, might be able to add more 757s to their fleet and expand their ETOPs flights.
These aircraft and other new ones like it should replace those venerable 757s flying the sky at the moment. It will be good for those flying on-board, as new aircraft means a better on-board experience, but for some like me, it will be a sad day to see fewer 757s take flight. Seeing that ungainly long body of the 757-300, which looks like it shouldn’t exist on such a thin aircraft, is an amazing sight. When you step on-board, the single aisle looks like it will never end. Hopefully these new aircraft can inspire similar thoughts amongst future generations of AvGeeks.
This story written by…Malcolm Muir, Lead Correspondent. Mal is an Australian Avgeek now living and working in Seattle. With a passion for aircraft photography, traveling and the fun that combining the two can bring. Insights into the aviation world with a bit of a perspective thanks to working in the travel industry.@BigMalX | BigMal’s World | Photos
Aviation fuel comes out of the left wing of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner during a test flight at Boeing Field. Photo by Brandon Farris.
The past 7 weeks have not been one to write home about for the 787 program, from a couple of diversions, to a fire in Boston along with a couple of fuel leaks.
While events like these are expected it has come at a bad time with all of them being so close together and has caused major public scrutiny of the aircraft. We are going to take a look back at what has happened in the last seven weeks to lead to the events of yesterday causing the launch carrier, All Nippon Airways (ANA) and also Japan Airlines (JAL) to ground its entire fleet of Dreamliners.
The first event was on 04DEC2012, involving United Airlines performing flight 1146 from Houston to Newark when it diverted to New Orleans after the Captain reported getting multiple messages indicating some kind of system error. When calling into ATC the pilot stated that it was an electrical malfunction and directed firefighters to look behind the wing once the aircraft touched down where the electronics bay is located.
The aircraft, N26902 was thoroughly inspected and no arching or proof of any kind of fire was found and the aircraft ferried back to Houston a couple of days later where it re-entered service on 10DEC2012. However on 17DEC2012 United Airlines (UA) reported that it had found another electrical problem on a second 787 in its fleet of 5 at the time.
Just a couple of days later, reports surfaced from Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker, that it also had to ground one of its 787’s following a similar electrical issue as the one that the United aircraft suffered after the airplane landed in Doha following its delivery flight. Al Baker was very vocal stating, ’œThese problems are unacceptable because this aircraft has been flying for the last 14 months.’
’œTwo aircraft having the same problem — the same major problem — so quickly is a cause of concern,’ Al Baker said, adding that Doha-based Qatar Air will ask Boeing to cover its losses. ’œDefinitely we will demand compensation. We are not buying airplanes from them to put in a museum.’
The next 4 weeks were quiet and smooth for the 787, until 07JAN2013, when a Japan Airlines 787 that just arrived, deplaned and was sitting at the gate, when cleaners on-board the aircraft noticed smoke billowing into the cabin of the aircraft. Firefighters were called in and by the time that they got there smoke was pouring out of the cargo compartment. The responders were able to quickly find the spot where the smoke was coming from and managed to put the fire out about 45 minutes after it started. While they were attempting to put the fire out one of the lithium ion batteries that powers the aircraft was believed to have been struck by one of the firefighter’s axes and caused the battery to ultimately have a small explosion.
United is confident in the 787 and still operating the aircraft. Photo by Brandon Farris.
The incident was significant enough to cause the NTSB to come out and investigate. It was believed that this issue stemmed from something different than the United 787 issues back in December.
“We need to give our technical teams time to really understand the event,” Lori Gunter, spokeswoman for the 787 program, said in a statement at the time. “Anything offered now would be speculation and likely incorrect. It’s just too early to make comparisons to other events or to draw conclusions.”
The next day (08JAN13) things went from bad to just plain outright ugly as a second JAL 787 was on the ground and taxing out to the runway when it had a fuel leak of approximately 40 gallons of JET-A. The aircraft was then towed back to the gate where it was fixed and departed 4 hours later.
It also comes out on 08JAN that UA inspected its fleet of 787’s again following the JAL fire and found improper wiring on 2 of its 6 Dreamliners that have now been corrected.
ANA had incidents on both 09 and 11JAN13 of braking issues on one 787 and a cracked windshield on another. These are very much non-issues and only made the news since the aircraft was already under scrutiny. These kinds of things happen across the world every day from many different aircraft.
On Friday 11JAN13 the FAA and US DOT announce that the 787 will undergo a comprehensive review of all the critical inspections to make sure that no changes are necessary. A team of FAA, Boeing engineers and inspectors will conduct this joint review, with an emphasis on the aircraft’s electrical power and distribution system. The review will also examine how the electrical and mechanical systems interact with each other. ’œWe are confident that the aircraft is safe. But we need to have a complete understanding of what is happening,” said FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta. “We are conducting the review to further ensure that the aircraft meets our high safety standards.’
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement yesterday after it was announced that the FAA and Boeing will start a review of the 787’s recent issues and critical systems, “Boeing shares the same commitment to air travel safety that Transportation Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Huerta spoke of this morning in Washington, D.C. We also stand 100 percent behind the integrity of the 787 and the rigorous process that led to its successful certification and entry into service. We look forward to participating in the joint review with the FAA, and we believe it will underscore our confidence, and the confidence of our customers and the traveling public, in the reliability, safety and performance of the innovative, new 787 Dreamliner.”
At the time, AirlineReporter.com was in SJC covering the inaugural 787 flight to the airport and managed to get this statement from ANA Chairmen of the Board Yoji Ohashi on their take on the events of the week, ’œWe can not give you an official comment, but we are confident about the safety of the Dreamliner.’
That now leads us to yesterday, 15JAN2013, on what appeared to be just another day in Japan but then reports started to float out that and ANA 787 just made an emergency diversion to Takamatsu following the pilots reporting smoke in the cockpit. The aircraft landed without incident and once off of the runway the slides were deployed and passengers evacuated from the aircraft on the tarmac of the airport.
The aircraft involved in the incident was JA804A, which was ZA102 and a part of the certification flights for the 787. This aircraft actually flew the final flight to give the 787 type its official certification. At this time it is still not clear what caused the smoke but we are sure that something will come out in the next couple of days as the FAA and NTSB are both very interested in it.
About an hour after the incident news began to break that ANA was ordering the grounding of all 787’s in its fleet to undergo immediate inspections and would remain grounded until further notice according to officials at a press conference following the incident. Shortly after that JAL announced it would also ground its fleet but did not say for how long. This is pretty significant as it puts 24 787’s between the two carriers on the ground and that is approximately half of the 787’s currently in-service.
ANA has already cancelled all 787 flights to the USA for Wednesday, reports have come in that JAL has closed reservations for its NRT-BOS flight until 22JAN13 meaning a week long suspension at least for that route.
AirlineReporter.com has been attempting to reach out to several 787 carriers for comments and updates on if they also plan on grounding their fleets (please check the updates below for newer comments). At the time of posting this story, Qatar Airways has responded stating, ’œNo comment.” LOT has confirmed their inaugural 787 flight from Warsaw to Chicago is still happening later today. United told us via email, “We inspected all of our 787 aircraft and they are flying as scheduled. We are continuing to support Boeing and the FAA throughout their review.”
Via Twitter and Facebook, it seems that most #AvGeeks would not think twice about flying on a 787 Dreamliner today. But there have been more concerns voiced about the Dreamliner versus when the same question was asked about a week ago.
Airplane Geek Daryl Chapman was nice enough to talk with us briefly on why he wouldn’t fly on the aircraft at this point in time, ’œjust too many problems in such a short time and problems that are rather serious.’ He continued stating, ’œI think the 787 looks great but these problems are too serious seeing its already been delayed for so long.’
Yes, the plane has been delayed several years; however there are always unforeseen things that happen that aren’t in spec. The 787 is not just a small evolution in airline design — it is a revolution. It is the most advanced commercial vehicle ever created, with uncountable advances in many varied technologies. It’s not unexpected that there will be issues that weren’t revealed in testing and every other aircraft has had issues, some much more devastating. Remember, that this is the first new airliner to be put under the scrutiny of social media, which can follow every small up and down the 787 is facing.
Personally, I am scheduled to fly on LOT’s inaugural Warsaw to JFK flight in less than three weeks and I currently have absolutely no second thoughts about getting on the Dreamliner. The airplane has been heavily tested and proven itself to the FAA and other international Aviation Administrations. Let’s just hope the aircraft has a bit more smooth flying from here on out.
UPDATE1 – 1:10pm – LAN’S COMMENT: (see LAN’s updated comment in Update6 below) AirlineReporter.com received an official comment from LAN Airlines via email: “Since August 2012, when LAN began to receive and operate our first three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, we have conducted regular inspections of all of the aircraft systems in compliance with industry regulations and the recommendations of the manufacturer. The aircraft has received the same high level of routine maintenance and inspections that we diligently apply to our entire fleet. The safety of our passengers and the reliability of our fleet is our top priority.”
UPDATE2 – 3:00pm – QATAR PARTIALLY GROUNDS 787:
Reports show that Qatar Airways has canceled its London (LHR) to Doha (DOH) flight 76 today and that the aircraft, A7-BCK, is at least temporarily grounded at LHR. The UK Daily Mail shows that Qatar confirmed the cancellation and stated that safety fears were ’˜speculation’ but admitted such cancellations were ’˜rare.’ The airline also did not comment on the fate of four other Dreamliner planes in its fleet. It appears that the airline might also be planning to delay its initial launch of the 787 on its Perth Route that was supposed to launch on 01FEB. When trying to book a flight on the airline’s website, it shows a Boeing 777-200LR will be used instead of a 787 Dreamliner.
UDATE3 – 3:15pm – FAA GROUNDS THE 787:
According to multiple sources, the FAA has grounded all Boeing 787 flights. Here is the full FAA statement:
’œAs a result of an in-flight, Boeing 787 battery incident earlier today in Japan, the FAA will issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) to address a potential battery fire risk in the 787 and require operators to temporarily cease operations. Before further flight, operators of U.S.-registered, Boeing 787 aircraft must demonstrate to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that the batteries are safe.
’œThe FAA will work with the manufacturer and carriers to develop a corrective action plan to allow the U.S. 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013. The AD is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery.
’œThe battery failures resulted in release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke on two Model 787 airplanes. The root cause of these failures is currently under investigation. These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment.Last Friday, the FAA announced a comprehensive review of the 787’s critical systems with the possibility of further action pending new data and information.
’œIn addition to the continuing review of the aircraft’s design, manufacture and assembly, the agency also will validate that 787 batteries and the battery system on the aircraft are in compliance with the special condition the agency issued as part of the aircraft’s certification.
’œUnited Airlines is currently the only U.S. airline operating the 787, with six airplanes in service. When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive, it also alerts the international aviation community to the action so other civil aviation authorities can take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their own countries.’
UPDATE4 – 4:35pm – NEW UNITED COMMENT:
United has emailed AR.com: “United will immediately comply with the Airworthiness Directive and will work closely with the FAA and Boeing on the technical review as we work toward restoring 787 service. We will begin reaccommodating customers on alternate aircraft.” Reaching out to LAN, LOT and other 787 operators for updated comments.
UPDATE5 – 4:50pm – BOEING SPEAKS:
Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney just released the following statement: “The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.
“Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.
“We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.
“Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers.”
UPDATE6 – 5:55pm – LAN’S UPDATED STATEMENT:
This updated statement was just sent via email: “In compliance with the recommendation of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) and in coordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority (DGAC), LAN announces that we will temporarily suspend the operation of our three Boeing 787 aircraft.
“Flights that were scheduled to be operated by the 787 will be temporarily replaced with other aircraft in our fleet to mitigate any potential impact that this situation could cause our passengers and cargo clients. The safety of our operation and our passengers is our top priority and we lament any inconvenience that this may cause.”
UPDATE7 – 7:20PM – AIR INDIA GROUND 787s & LOT CANCELS INAUGURAL 787 FLIGHT:
LOT Airlines has postponed their inaugural Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight from Chicago today, but it is unclear if it is related to the FAA airworthiness directive (AD) or another issues. Jon Ostrower with the Wall Street Journal is reporting on Twitter, “Indian Regulator joins FAA and has asked Air India to temporarily ground its fleet of Boeing 787s.” Still no word from Ethiopian Airlines, but we are trying multiple channels to speak with them.
UPDATE8 – 1/16 8:30AM – IMAGES OF JAL & ANA GROUNDED 787s:
One of JAL’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners grounded at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Image by Hiroshi Igami.
One of ANA’s Dreamliners grounded at Haneda. Image by Hiroshi Igami.
UPDATE9 – 1/16 9:20AM – UPDATED COMMENTS FROM LOT AND QATAR:
From LOT: “Today also European regulator, EASA, confirmed FAA recommendations, and LOT is fully compliant with them.
“Two of currently operated by LOT aircrafts are grounded until all recommendations will be implemented and planes will be re-checked by technical staff.
“Following FAA statement we would like to confirm, that LOT will cooperate both with Boeing and FAA to develop a corrective action plan to allow our fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.”
Statement from Qatar Airways: “Following instructions by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Airways is implementing the Airworthiness Directive issued by the FAA for all operators of the Boeing 787 to ground the aircraft, effective today 17 January 2013.”
Regarding current situation we would like to inform, that all our long-haul operations will be continued with 767 aircrafts, except today’s flight to Beijing, which will be cancelled.
This story written by…Brandon Farris, Correspondent. Brandon is an avid aviation geek based in Seattle. He got started in Photography and Reporting back in 2010. He loves to travel where ever he has to to cover the story and try to get the best darn shot possible.@BrandonsBlog | RightStuffPhotography | Flickr
A great video by SpeedbirdHD of the cockpit and take off of L/N 55; a United Boeing 787. It was at LAX for some quick work before being ferried back to George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
United Airlines First 787 at Paine Field in Everett. Phone: Mal Muir – Airlinereporter.com
On Tuesday the 4th December 2012, United flight 1146 scheduled from Houston to Newark, diverted to New Orleans due to a mechanical issue. An emergency had been declared during descent and following standard procedure, the flight was to be welcomed by emergency crews upon landing.
As they approached the airport, there was talk between the tower controllers and the crew on board that would indicate they had predicted there might be an electrical problem. Recordings taken from LiveATC (thanks to NYCAviation for the transcript) indicate the crew were forwarding instruction for the ground crews to help them inspect the aircraft upon landing:
UA 1146: If in fact anything’s going on it’ll be the area right behind the wings, the rear of the wings back to the third door on each side. Tower: Which wing? UA 1146: Uh, we don’t know. Either one. It might be on either side. But it’s behind the wing where high load electrical stuff is and back to the rear cargo. But we don’t anticipate anything, that’s just where he needs to be. Tower: Okay. UA 1146: So following us would be perfect.
The Dreamliner landed safely and all 184 passengers & crew on-board were unharmed. The unexpected arrival marked the first Boeing 787 to land at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. United re-booked passengers on another aircraft and set out to work with Boeing to investigate the issue.
United Airlines First Boeing 787 on Launch Day at the Boeing Factory in Everett. Phone: Mal Muir airlinereporter.com
United Spokesperson Christen Davis confirms to AirlineReporter.com that the maintenance inspection of the 787 that diverted to New Orleans (N26902 the latest of their their 787s) revealed that one of the six electrical generators on the aircraft failed and that back up systems allowed it to be powered by the remaining five. United will replace the generator, run additional checks and then return the aircraft to service as soon as possible.
United also confirmed that this diversion was unrelated to the latest FAA Airworthiness Directive to all 787 operators that required mandatory inspections to the fuel feed systems. The FAA implemented these mandatory checks this week, which had already been recommended by Boeing. United’s 787s have already undergone the inspections for the fuel systems & Davis confirmed that United would continue to work closely with Boeing and the FAA to determine what went wrong with flight 1146.
This story written by…Malcolm Muir, Lead Correspondent.Mal is an Australian Avgeek now living and working in Seattle. With a passion for aircraft photography, traveling and the fun that combining the two can bring. Insights into the aviation world with a bit of a perspective thanks to working in the travel industry.
