Quote:
Originally Posted by simster3
I just returned from Europe and have a couple questions about airport operations. A few of my flights required boarding a bus to board and exit the plane. This was both at LHR and LIS, including the 767 from LHR to YYC, surprised to see this on a larger plane. The question is, do they do this because there is no room, or do airlines pay less than if they use a jetway. Also, was in Toulouse and saw 2 A380s with Airbus paint and 2 Belugas.
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Bus boarding was popular around the world until the 70s to early 80s. YEG in 1983 had four jetways and lots of people movers (buses that rose up to aircraft doors).
From an LHR and FRA perspective, the airports do not want to build the required terminal infrastructure. Additionally there are space limitations at both airports.
From a European perspective, bussing also helped airports organize incoming and outgoing passengers with disparate customs/immigration and security screening requirements. In Canada and USA, these requirements are met with swing gates, but the number of swing gates required at the European airports is generally too great to make jetways feasible. Busing allows the airport to use a driver to get the passengers to the required terminal location.
With the popularity of 777 and larger aircraft, there is a big move away from the hardstands and busing passengers to terminal due to number of buses required for a 400+ passenger aircraft.
ETA: In FRA and LHR I have been bussed from jetways when the only available jetway was in wrong part of the terminal for our arrival formalities (arrive from domestic run put terminal is international). At FRA the bus was a primary reason why I made 25 minute connection onto AC844 from LH MAD flight. We got onto the correct bus (separate buses for arrivals at FRA, Schengen connections, international connections) and taken immediately to a available passport control room. From there it is a short walk to gate B44, our arrival gate was on the A concourse.
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