Hi everyone

 

Can anyone tell me what would be the flight route when a brand new A320 is delivered from France to one of the airlines in the USA please, do they go via Iceland/Greenland?? just curious.

 

Thanks

Paul

I believe they do.    Unless the A32X has been upspec'd for ETOPS (unlikely in the US unless it'a maybe going to do US > Hawaii, or US > Bermuda flights) it wouldn't be ETOPS certified, so the most likely routing would be along the lines of France > Iceland > Greenland > North America.    

 

This is the route that the ATRs on ferry take.  Having a much longer range, it's possible that the A32X may not require the Greenland stop, and could perhaps make it from Iceland to NA.

 

Just conjecture really, so perhaps somone can offer a more substantive answer.

 

:smile:

Would ETOPS apply?

 

The A319s could do it with a stop on the east coast of North America. So basically unless they're going to the wet coast, they could go direct.

 

Same with the A320s remember they are empty after all, range is increased considerably.

 

The A321s might struggle on a windy day but it wouldn't be too bad.

 

I don't think a stop in Iceland or Greenland is really warranted most of the time.

 

Lee

I read somewhere that Ryanair's NGs go direct from Renton to Dublin. Not sure if that's true but with a full tank of gas and no pax it seems plausible.

I read somewhere that Ryanair's NGs go direct from Renton to Dublin. Not sure if that's true but with a full tank of gas and no pax it seems plausible.

 

Yeah the NG's do that, same for the A32X series.

From Toulouse anyway lol

ETOPS is a legal requirement, it's not defined by range, fuel or weight.

 

If the aircraft is not ETOPs certified, it cannot be further than 60 minutes from a diversion airfield;  which means a direct atlantic crossing is not possible.

 

Even for the London Heathrow <> Halifax, NS flights, Air Canada use two adapted ETOPs certified A319s.

 

Hence why non-ETOPs aircraft fly the Greenland / Iceland routes;  it's not due to range etc, it's to comply with the requirement to be no more than 60 mins from a diversion airfield at any time.

 

Then again............ I'm not sure if ETOPs applies to non-commercial, non passenger-carrying flights, so perhaps ferry flights are exempt from ETOPs.

 

Until someone can cite facts around these flights, I guess we're all offering logical guestimates. :smile:

British Airways fly an A318 from London City to JFK via a refuel in Shannon, but on the return leg it flies directly into London.

Best person to answer this, I reckon, would be our very own Staffer, Capt Ró, so if you are reading this, Ró, as certified A32X Capt, maybe you can shed some light on this. What a couple of really interesting topics today. One on APU usage at VHHH, and this one.

• Air Canada operates the 319 from St John's NFLD to London Heathrow.

As per my knowledge the whole A32X family is ETOPS 180 certified.

f the aircraft is not ETOPs certified, it cannot be further than 60 minutes from a diversion airfield; which means a direct atlantic crossing is not possible.

I don't believe that ETOPS applies to non-passenger flights such as a delivery flight.

I don't believe that ETOPS applies to non-passenger flights such as a delivery flight.

 

 

 

Then again............ I'm not sure if ETOPs applies to non-commercial, non passenger-carrying flights, so perhaps ferry flights are exempt from ETOPs.

 

Very possibly ....... it would seem logical, as ETOPS is really nothing other than a safety measure applied to mass passenger transport.    So I wouldn't be surprised at all if as you say, it doesn't apply to ferry flights.

Yeah don't think it does.

I think ETOPS only applies to commercial operations, airlines etc ( at least in North America) because private bizjets are not subject to ETOPS requirements as they fall under a different thing. Same with ferrying etc.

 

And I'm sure if there was an issue Airbus could get a exemption for that particular flight.

Non-revenue flights are not subject to ETOPS restrictions, if I understand correctly.