Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

Bussywussy

billie1b wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Well I suggest we have this conversation after the summer when we will have numerous occasions when EIs Dublin operation has melted down because of not enough baggage handlers, tug drivers, engineers etc. As Bussywussy has already stated this is fact not fiction this is happening every day. Check out the forum posts over the last week or two discussing EI engineers and stop ignoring the obvious, Aer Lingus is being run on a shoestring staffing wise any Aer Lingus staff member will tell you that or you can just continue to ignore them.

Menzies are in the bidding stages for EI’s ground handling at the moment, supposedly IAG are giving it big consideration

Was always on the cards I'd say
Isn't Menzies a BA owned company,well IAG now...was only a matter of time...race to the bottom...cheaper workforce

L1011

Bussywussy wrote: »

Was always on the cards I'd say
Isn't Menzies a BA owned company,well IAG now...was only a matter of time...race to the bottom...cheaper workforce

Menzies is still owned by the remains of the former John Menzies newsagent chain (yes, it is a rather odd change of direction) I believe.

Mebuntu

MICKEYG wrote: »

Also, there were two flights from SFO Saturday night (maybe Friday). Any idea why? There were two a few days previously due to the incident with the wing tip. Was there another incident.

EI146 return SFO-DUB was delayed overnight. According to http://thelingussource.com/ "It is not clear whether this is due to a technical or a crew issue."

Locker10a

MICKEYG wrote: »

I have been looking at the EI flights for the last few days and the pattern is that they are mostly late, certainly the afternoon ones.
Anyone know the reason?
Also, there were two flights from SFO Saturday night (maybe Friday). Any idea why? There were two a few days previously due to the incident with the wing tip. Was there another incident.

Over the past week or so, the summer schedules have really taken off across Europe, I believe records are being broken in terms of airspace congestion and so air traffic slot restrictions are being regularly applied to short haul traffic.
Yesterday in the U.K. due to thunder storms and extremely busy schedules 40,000 minutes of delays were recorded on flights.

MICKEYG

Locker10a wrote: »

Over the past week or so, the summer schedules have really taken off across Europe, I believe records are being broken in terms of airspace congestion and so air traffic slot restrictions are being regularly applied to short haul traffic.
Yesterday in the U.K. due to thunder storms and extremely busy schedules 40,000 minutes of delays were recorded on flights.

Thanks - so maybe the flights are delayed as they wait for transfer passengers from delayed incoming flights or is to do with getting clearance to cross the Atlantic?

Bussywussy

MICKEYG wrote: »

Locker10a wrote: »

Over the past week or so, the summer schedules have really taken off across Europe, I believe records are being broken in terms of airspace congestion and so air traffic slot restrictions are being regularly applied to short haul traffic.
Yesterday in the U.K. due to thunder storms and extremely busy schedules 40,000 minutes of delays were recorded on flights.

Thanks - so maybe the flights are delayed as they wait for transfer passengers from delayed incoming flights or is to do with getting clearance to cross the Atlantic?

No they are delayed 1. because of unrealistic turn around times in the afternoon that doesn't consider scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and
2. Aircraft being towed around the place to free up stands for US airlines and just general infrastructure.

Tenger

MICKEYG wrote: »

.......
Also, there were two flights from SFO Saturday night (maybe Friday). Any idea why? There were two a few days previously due to the incident with the wing tip. Was there another incident.

The winglet incident was on Wednesday, which lead to 2 flights SFO-DUB on Thursday.
The SFO-DUB flight on Friday was cancelled due to a technical fault with the aircraft. (Hav a mate in EI ramp section) So 2 flights again on Saturday.

IE 222

The plan is to add frequency to current US routes as well as new routes. Id be pretty certain any new increases in frequency will offer flights over the course of the day rather than all departing and arriving in the morning T/A rush. More frequencies will allow current departures times to be played around with as they wont need to hang around for all returning morning flights.

Kcormahs

IE 222 wrote: »

The plan is to add frequency to current US routes as well as new routes. Id be pretty certain any new increases in frequency will offer flights over the course of the day rather than all departing and arriving in the morning T/A rush. More frequencies will allow current departures times to be played around with as they wont need to hang around for all returning morning flights.

So then short haul wise would that mean earlier arrivals into Dublin from other cities to feed those TAs, like Rome etc as mentioned previously? For example at the moment the earliest Rome would land too late to connect to any early Atlantic flight

Tenger

billie1b wrote: »

Menzies are in the bidding stages for EI’s ground handling at the moment, supposedly IAG are giving it big consideration

This to me is an perfect example of cost cutting gone too far. Handling agents at destinations I can fully understand. But outsourcing your ground handling at your home base seems a too far in terms of brand/service protection.

I can remember a recurring theme from last summer was that EI didnt have the staff numbers to deal with all the disruptions. Judging by online info it seems that they are reducing full time staff and having a greater reliance on part time contractors during peak times.

Kcormahs

LXFlyer wrote: »

Overnighting aircraft at overseas destinations would be nothing new for Aer Lingus - they did it in the past at both Amsterdam and Paris.

It would all boil down to cost and whether it makes financial sense, as it would obviously mean putting up a minimum of two crews overnight at each location (the crew that fly in the aircraft that overnights at the overseas location would not fly it out the next morning - hours restrictions would preclude that).

I agree entirely with you expect that it's possible to just overnight one crew if the duration of the plane on the ground is the same as the crew minimum rest time. Aer Lingus Regional (Stobart) overnights in Kerry and Donegal with only one crew.

LXFlyer

Kcormahs wrote: »

I agree entirely with you expect that it's possible to just overnight one crew if the time the plan stays on the ground is the same as the crew minimum rest time. Aer Lingus Regional (Stobart) overnights in Kerry and Donegal with only one crew.

That’s not going to happen with EI.

The crews would work a full day either side of the overnight.

I suspect that there’s at least three if not four EI crews in London each night as far to cover early and late shifts with the two aircraft.

That’s the normal accepted practice across the industry. Both LH and BA (mainline) for example have two crews in Dublin each night with one aircraft.

Jamie2k9

I may be wrong but there may even be crew based in London area still.

Kcormahs

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I may be wrong but there may even be crew based in London area still.

If there was London based crew they would stop the dublin crew overnighting there. Wonder then if there would be crew in Paris Amesterdam etc or if theyd overnight crew there

LiamaDelta

LXFlyer wrote: »

That’s not going to happen with EI.

The crews would work a full day either side of the overnight.

I suspect that there’s at least three if not four EI crews in London each night as far to cover early and late shifts with the two aircraft.

That’s the normal accepted practice across the industry. Both LH and BA (mainline) for example have two crews in Dublin each night with one aircraft.

Do you mean there would be a 'spare' crew for each aircraft?

LXFlyer

LiamaDelta wrote: »

Do you mean there would be a 'spare' crew for each aircraft?

No I don’t. Take the LH and BA examples.

One crew flies the aircraft into Dublin last flight at night, having already done probably a couple of rotations elsewhere beforehand. They pick up another aircraft after lunch the following day to do another “late” day.

A second crew would have arrived into Dublin early/mid-afternoon having started first thing in the morning, and they then take the overnight aircraft first thing the following morning and do a full morning of flying.

That doesn’t don’t equate to spare crews - it’s having crew operating full rosters.

joeysoap

Now and again Dublin crew overnight in London and finish up in Belfast, (taxi to dublin)

basill

75% of the time when I arrive back into Dublin I have to make a PA apologising for the delay in disembarking due to a lack of marshallers and then people to drive the jetbridge to the aircraft. If its the south stands then the punters are kept onboard whilst the marshalling staff run between flights as there are not enough of them.

Just one example of the chaos that is Dublin. We would be writing for days citing examples of how things have been cut back way to far but the majority of us are fed up and sick and tired of it all. The only thing the managers care about it would appear is adverse social media.

Lapmo_Dancer

Kcormahs wrote: »

I agree entirely with you expect that it's possible to just overnight one crew if the duration of the plane on the ground is the same as the crew minimum rest time. Aer Lingus Regional (Stobart) overnights in Kerry and Donegal with only one crew.

The aircraft is on the ground in KIR/CFN from approx 8pm till 7:30am. Rest away from base for crew is a minimum of 11 hours. Doable when it’s a subsidized PSO route but not really viable from an aircraft utilization perspective for EI.

Jamie2k9

EI ground staff voted on pay proposals late last year in a deal for over 3 years. Difficult to see Menzies getting a deal before then but thier whole set up in DUB is most likely paving the way for a transfer considering they are only handling IAG and Icelandair.

Bussywussy

<Snipped a gossipy comment>

California Dreamer

Why was the 101 the only TA flight delayed today?

Tenger

California Dreamer wrote: »

Why was the 101 the only TA flight delayed today?

No idea. No clue how you can find out unless you see something on EI social media.
Could be related to any of the following; passenger problem, loading issues, fault with the aircraft, late inbound aircraft, congestion at destination, crewing issues, etc.


Arent there still some later departs? They could get delayed too.

Bussywussy

California Dreamer wrote: »

Why was the 101 the only TA flight delayed today?

Cough it's not the only one delayed.....LA is too.101 was ex scheduled maintenance I think and there was ramp congestion as usual

starvin

Probably old news, but new Aer Lingus color scheme starting with the 321NEO arrivals next year.

kevinandrew

starvin wrote: »

Probably old news, but new Aer Lingus color scheme starting with the 321NEO arrivals next year.

First I've heard of it! If true, I hope it's an update and not a complete overhaul. 

The overall concept of the current livery is still beautiful, the bold green and shamrock works very well but there are aspects of it that have dated by now. However, anything with too much white won't be popular!

Comhrá

Let's hope they stick broadly to the present scheme with just a refresh.

With all the Euro-white clone liveries nowadays, the Aer Lingus colours are among the most distinctive and different anywhere in the world.

KLM likewise has a coloured top scheme which is instantly recognisable from a great distance so hopefully EI won't go Euro-white.

roadmaster

I just seen a aer lingus video of the first flight to Seattle. There is a third person in the cockpit. Do they have 3 pilots going to seattle?

California Dreamer

roadmaster wrote: »

I just seen a aer lingus video of the first flight to Seattle. There is a third person in the cockpit. Do they have 3 pilots going to seattle?

Flights over 8 hours will have relief crew for rest periods etc.

Jamie2k9

I quiet like the IRFU and with minor changes could be a good option.

SEA video for those interested, guess PHL wasn't exciting enough!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlVardI9mQM&t=0s