AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[psychlotron]

Originally Posted by sammyk

Kind of surprised the A340-300 is still around. Lufthansa's must be really old by now.

What's the old A340 joke? Only gains altitude because the earth is round?

When United was phasing their 747s out, the last of them all seemed to get sent to SFO. After a long trip across the Pacific in a nearly-decommissioned 747, there's nothing about an A340 that would bother me.

Biggest irony of the old 747s: half of the lighting didn't work, there was no seat back entertainment at all -- but the ashtrays worked!

I'll take an old A340 to Europe any day.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by psychlotron

When United was phasing their 747s out, the last of them all seemed to get sent to SFO. After a long trip across the Pacific in a nearly-decommissioned 747, there's nothing about an A340 that would bother me.

Biggest irony of the old 747s: half of the lighting didn't work, there was no seat back entertainment at all -- but the ashtrays worked!

I'll take an old A340 to Europe any day.

I flew the final (passenger) flight on an AA L-1011 into DFW way back. It was a regularly scheduled service, and they announced it in the cabin. I was like, "Why would they tell us that?" I can't think of any benefit to the passengers from hearing that. But I guess it was a different time.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by hookem

I flew the final (passenger) flight on an AA L-1011 into DFW way back. It was a regularly scheduled service, and they announced it in the cabin. I was like, "Why would they tell us that?" I can't think of any benefit to the passengers from hearing that. But I guess it was a different time.

Are you certain it was an L-1011? American flew the original DC 10 and subsequent variants for a number of years, but the airline rather famously chose the DC-10 over the L-1011, even though the L-1011 was developed largely because American had indicated interest in a fleet of 3 engine wide-body jets. I loved the L-1011. It was very advanced for its time and usually more comfortable than a DC-10. It had a number of accidents over the years, but it's overall safety record was better than the DC-10. https://www.theautopian.com/the-lockheed...-aircraft-that-ended-up-a-total-failure/

[sammyk]

Originally Posted by psychlotron

When United was phasing their 747s out, the last of them all seemed to get sent to SFO. After a long trip across the Pacific in a nearly-decommissioned 747, there's nothing about an A340 that would bother me.

Biggest irony of the old 747s: half of the lighting didn't work, there was no seat back entertainment at all -- but the ashtrays worked!

I'll take an old A340 to Europe any day.

My comment wasn't really about the comfort level, more about aircraft performance.

Also, what you experienced has more to do with how the airline maintained that aircraft than the quality of the aircraft itself.

[sammyk]

Originally Posted by austlar1

Are you certain it was an L-1011? American flew the original DC 10 and subsequent variants for a number of years, but the airline rather famously chose the DC-10 over the L-1011, even though the L-1011 was developed largely because American had indicated interest in a fleet of 3 engine wide-body jets. I loved the L-1011. It was very advanced for its time and usually more comfortable than a DC-10. It had a number of accidents over the years, but it's overall safety record was better than the DC-10. https://www.theautopian.com/the-lockheed...-aircraft-that-ended-up-a-total-failure/

I believe AA got the L-1011 due to merger.

I think it's failure was mainly due to Rolls Royce not being able to deliver the RB211 in a timely manner.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by sammyk

I believe AA got the L-1011 due to merger.

I think it's failure was mainly due to Rolls Royce not being able to deliver the RB211 in a timely manner.

AA never had the L-1011 in its fleet. Delta did, however. And they (Delta) once had a hub at DFW. Maybe that is where the confusion lies?!?

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

AA never had the L-1011 in its fleet. Delta did, however. And they (Delta) once had a hub at DFW. Maybe that is where the confusion lies?!?

It probably was a Delta flight. TWA retired their last L-1011 in 1997. The merger with American was in 2001, and there were no L-1011s in the TWA fleet at that time.

I flew DFW-HNL round trip in a Delta L-1011 in 1998. The old bird was showing her age, but it was a comfortable flight. As far as I know Delta was the only carrier flying the L-1011 into DFW. The deadly crash of Delta flight 191 at DFW was with one of Delta's L-1011s.

[LightChop]

Just to reiterate AA never flew the Tristar.

Delta flew them until 2001 and were primarily based in DFW. The crews loved the plane and was widely regarded as ahead of its time (80’s). The DFW hub closed in 2004 and Flight 191 happened in 1985.

I would consider the final flight to be worth mentioning. I’m sure there were similar announcements with our final MD-88/90 (SAT-ATL) and 777 flights in 2020. Funny enough our 747 retirement (late 2017 around the same time as UA) was cut short when one of the pilots called in sick. Given that it was the last flight there were no reserves in position.

[hookem]

It was a long time ago, and I don’t even recall where we were flying in from. I suppose it could have been Delta, but our family always used to fly AA (lived in Dallas at the time.)

[Novacek]

Since the board is pretty dead and we’re in the middle of Southwest’s meltdown, anyone want to wildly speculate what they might mean for ABIA?

Might SW finally move a bit more towards a hub model? If they wanted to build up a major hub in Texas, Austin would have room. Can’t (Currently) expand Love beyond the current 20 gates by law, I believe.

[Scuba]

Originally Posted by hookem

I flew the final (passenger) flight on an AA L-1011 into DFW way back. It was a regularly scheduled service, and they announced it in the cabin. I was like, "Why would they tell us that?" I can't think of any benefit to the passengers from hearing that. But I guess it was a different time.

Must have been an MD-11, not an L-1011, since AA flew MD-11s but never L-1011s

[Tyrone Shoes]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Since the board is pretty dead and we’re in the middle of Southwest’s meltdown, anyone want to wildly speculate what they might mean for ABIA?

Might SW finally move a bit more towards a hub model? If they wanted to build up a major hub in Texas, Austin would have room. Can’t (Currently) expand Love beyond the current 20 gates by law, I believe.

[texastarkus]

Originally Posted by Tyrone Shoes

WOW, this is a great lesson in how to stop a thread in its tracks.

[LightChop]

Originally Posted by Scuba

Must have been an MD-11, not an L-1011, since AA flew MD-11s but never L-1011s

I was thinking the same thing. AA flew them for a short time in the 90’s. They were never able to do the range that McDonnell Douglas promised and they went bye-bye around the same time as Delta’s L-1011’s (and MD-11’s).

Originally Posted by Novacek

Might SW finally move a bit more towards a hub model? If they wanted to build up a major hub in Texas, Austin would have room. Can’t (Currently) expand Love beyond the current 20 gates by law, I believe.

Southwest is already #1 in AUS. I mean it’s not ATL, BWI, or DEN but it’s massive. I’m not sure how much bigger Southwest could get in AUS to be honest. There’s only so many missions for a 737.

[ILUVSAT]

Originally Posted by LightChop

AA flew them for a short time in the 90’s. They were never able to do the range that McDonnell Douglas promised and they went bye-bye around the same time as Delta’s L-1011’s (and MD-11’s).

AA never flew the L-1011. TWA flew them - but, AA did not own that airline when they did.

[LightChop]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

AA never flew the L-1011. TWA flew them - but, AA did not own that airline when they did.

I was talking about the MD-11.

[LoneStarMike]

November 2022 Passenger, Cargo Traffic At Austin-Bergstrom

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) passenger traffic growth for November 2022 was up 16.01% compared to November 2021 with 1,845,593 passengers flying during the month.

Total passenger traffic for January – November 2022 was 19,371,688, up 61.77%, compared to January – November 2021.

The Aviation Activity Report shows 93,020 international passengers for November 2022 (up 127% from November 2021) and 847,275 international passengers from Jan. - Nov. 2022 (up 333.58% from Jan. - Nov. 2021.)

December 2022 traffic would need to be up about 2% from December 2021 (32,491 additional passengers) to reach the 21 million mark. Not sure how the Southwest Airlines problems over the Christmas holidays will factor into all of this.

[llintner]

Originally Posted by LoneStarMike

November 2022 Passenger, Cargo Traffic At Austin-Bergstrom



The Aviation Activity Report shows 93,020 international passengers for November 2022 (up 127% from November 2021) and 847,275 international passengers from Jan. - Nov. 2022 (up 333.58% from Jan. - Nov. 2021.)

December 2022 traffic would need to be up about 2% from December 2021 (32,491 additional passengers) to reach the 21 million mark. Not sure how the Southwest Airlines problems over the Christmas holidays will factor into all of this.

I haven't seen the official passenger numbers yet, but from what I see, Dec 2022 averaged about 2,800 additional passengers a day through the checkpoints over Dec 2021. After Christmas, there were three days where departing passenger numbers were about 6,000 below the forecast numbers and one about 3,000 fewer.

[WestAustinite]

Originally Posted by llintner

I haven't seen the official passenger numbers yet, but from what I see, Dec 2022 averaged about 2,800 additional passengers a day through the checkpoints over Dec 2021. After Christmas, there were three days where departing passenger numbers were about 6,000 below the forecast numbers and one about 3,000 fewer.

Well I was one of them. I was supposed to fly to Michigan on the 24th and my flight was cancelled due to blizzards in the Midwest. That happened to scores of people so maybe accounts for the lower numbers.

[ATX2030]

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