Spirit Furloughing

[JordanD]

I haven’t actually operated there but I’ve jumpseated plenty and I haven’t gotten the impression that it was any worse than any other Class B. What am I missing?

Just kind of a cluster. Too many planes on an airport the size of a postage stamp, too many alleyways with one ground frequency trying to handle them all, what seems like constant runway changes, everything running on absolute minimum separation 100% of the time. Just more headache than I care to deal with regularly.

 

[Roger Roger]

Just kind of a cluster. Too many planes on an airport the size of a postage stamp, too many alleyways with one ground frequency trying to handle them all, what seems like constant runway changes, everything running on absolute minimum separation 100% of the time. Just more headache than I care to deal with regularly.

I’ve been in there once. We do it out of SFO with a 24 hr layover downtown, which is fantastic, but at least in summer even an -800 can’t take any tailwind which works really great given the airspace constraints and ATC flow preferences.

 

[BobDDuck]

Just kind of a cluster. Too many planes on an airport the size of a postage stamp, too many alleyways with one ground frequency trying to handle them all, what seems like constant runway changes, everything running on absolute minimum separation 100% of the time. Just more headache than I care to deal with regularly.

You would have loved LGA, pre remodel.

 

[word302]

You would have loved LGA, pre remodel.

When was the remodel? I've only been there a couple times 5 or so years ago and it was a complete disaster. You should have seen my face when clearance rattled off a complete reroute to my west coast self and I got about .5% of it the first go-around. I could literally feel all the eyes rolling at me.

 

[BobDDuck]

When was the remodel? I've only been there a couple times 5 or so years ago and it was a complete disaster. You should have seen my face when clearance rattled off a complete reroute to my west coast self and I got about .5% of it the first go-around. I could literally feel all the eyes rolling at me.

Maybe 2011 was when it started? The first big move was the Eagle (actual airline Eagle) ERJs got moved off "the fence". Then the whole Delta gates got cleaned up and reorganized around the same time the Shuttle flying came off of mainline at the MAT and over to 175s. USAir was the last area to get slightly more organized, but that was after I left east coast flying so I never really experienced it.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

I like Dulles.

Do they have actual jetways now? Not the mobile ones?

 

[Roger Roger]

Do they have actual jetways now? Not the mobile ones?

I think they only use the sand crawlers to go to the terminal that doesn’t have a train/tunnel. No longer hook up to the airplanes.

 

[bimmerphile]

I think they only use the sand crawlers to go to the terminal that doesn’t have a train/tunnel. No longer hook up to the airplanes.

on the rare occasion I have seen them hook up at the remote pads

 

[///AMG]

I've been bid avoiding that airport for a while. Getting out of there is just a massive pain every time.

< AIR FLORIDA HAS ENTERED THE CHAT >

 

[Maurus]

When was the remodel? I've only been there a couple times 5 or so years ago and it was a complete disaster. You should have seen my face when clearance rattled off a complete reroute to my west coast self and I got about .5% of it the first go-around. I could literally feel all the eyes rolling at me.

The biggest changes occurred during Covid. Multiple new and revamped terminals were built. Completely different on the inside.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

The biggest changes occurred during Covid. Multiple new and revamped terminals were built. Completely different on the inside.

It's now a very pleasant shopping mall hooked up to some jetways.

Any perception that LGA is new, however, quickly fades during taxi-out.

 

[Maurus]

It's now a very pleasant shopping mall hooked up to some jetways.

Any perception that LGA is new, however, quickly fades during taxi-out.

The good news is that I currently have the luxury of closing the window shade when flying out of LGA.

 

[MikeD]

This terminal is far nicer than LGA.

 

[SteveC]

This terminal is far nicer than LGA.

View attachment 80248

Nice!

 

[MikeD]

Nice!

JPATS terminal. Two jetways. Nicer than LGA.

 

[Skåning]

Nicer than LGA

 

[skypilot6]

Officially selling 23 "older and inefficient" A320's they've been flying them out to GYR the last few weeks, more to go still. No word on more furloughs, but it's going to have to happen at some point.

 

[MikeD]

Officially selling 23 "older and inefficient" A320's they've been flying them out to GYR the last few weeks, more to go still. No word on more furloughs, but it's going to have to happen at some point.

Some of their old A319s are at P08

 

[skypilot6]

Some of their old A319s are at P08

2 more A319's were just removed from the cert. in the last week, I think there are less than 3 on property still.

The 23 A320ceo's that are being sold are in addition to the retirement of the A319's from the fleet

 

[MikeD]

2 more A319's were just removed from the cert. in the last week, I think there are less than 3 on property still.

The 23 A320ceo's that are being sold are in addition to the retirement of the A319's from the fleet

Interesting that they are not all sent to GYR. P08 is only 5000 feet long, and only has a small storage and scrap area. During Covid, most of Spirits parked planes were at my field of MZJ, parked even in vehicle parking lots just due to the number of planes there.