Posted on 04/21/2020 7:33:34 AM PDT by rktman
The skies are eerily empty these days, presenting a new challenge for the world’s embattled airlines as they work to safeguard thousands of grounded planes parked wingtip to wingtip on runways and in storage facilities.
More than 16,000 passenger jets are grounded worldwide, according to industry researcher Cirium, as the coronavirus obliterates travel and puts unprecedented strain on airline finances. Finding the right space and conditions for 62% of the world’s planes and keeping them airworthy have suddenly become priorities for 2020.
Aircraft can’t simply be dusted back into action. They need plenty of work and attention while in storage, from maintenance of hydraulics and flight-control systems to protection against insects and wildlife — nesting birds can be a problem. Then there’s humidity, which can corrode parts and damage interiors. Even when parked on runways, planes are often loaded with fuel to keep them from rocking in the wind and to ensure tanks stay lubricated.
“Nobody thought this magnitude of preservation would need to be done,” said Anand Bhaskar, chief executive officer of New Delhi-based Air Works, a plane repair and maintenance company. “Parking space is a problem. These are logistics nightmares which we’re trying to work around.” Mass Grounding
The number of passenger jets in service is the lowest in 26 years, according to Cirium. Managing such large-scale storage is a challenge for an industry already in crisis, with airlines worldwide slashing capacity to close to zero or not flying at all. The International Air Transport Association has warned that revenue from flying passengers could drop by nearly a third of a trillion dollars this year and that 25 million jobs are at risk.
(Excerpt) Read more at sg.finance.yahoo.com ...
You are right about that.
This is true. That said, aircraft maintenance is really some of the best in our history. Also, these flying machines were built to be serviced in every way. Remarkable.
Whew! Thought we had us a mafia connection for a second.
Don’t count on the airlines bouncing back very soon. A lot of people will be more hesitant to travel for many months or even a year to come.
Lol. I have a really bad eye condition. (Glasses can’t fix it). And I’m so embarrassed by some of my posts. And auto correct makes matters worse at times. Should at least wait till after my 2nd cup of coffee.
“Parking space is a problem”
Like they planned to have so many of these things constantly in the air? Forever?
A lot of us are in the same boat. Stay safe.
Grimly, they will probably test them in the air when the economy comes back, using passengers and crew as guinea pigs.
I heard the old SR-71 Blackbird leaked fluid constantly when in the hangar. It was built to withstand the conditions of extreme speed.
It leaked fuel from panels that fit loosely then sealed up with thermal expansion that comes with mach 3 flight.
The SR-71 was designed to do that. It never took of with a full fuel load and drip pans were part of the hangar routine.
Assuming Dems do not win Prez and both houses.
God forbid they do as Americans irrationally rush to mail in their ballots to elect Dems to save us from economic decline. “And Southeast Michigan voted Dem by a 7,804,201 margin although only 4 million voters are registered there. What enthusiasm. Outstate Trump fans and NRA members often complained of receiving “returned for proper address” on ballots a few days later.”
Then we would have to ask our Chinese masters (via the Dems) if it is okay to fly those planes again. All Chinese owned by then.
Thanks for details. Beautiful old plane.
By the way, I think Joe Biden doesn't go out with a full load and his drip pan solution is Depends.
Is that like the invention of a ball bearing mousetrap?
A tomcat.
All of us with car insurance will be paying for that tragic "accident" for many years to come. How could they ever have know that parking hot car exhausts on dry grass could start a fire? Of course they had to park all those cars close together in one field. All of the airport parking ramps were full of cars from all those airline passengers, don't you know.
The trick is guessing which airlines won’t go bankrupt.
He loved the job because it gave him an opportunity to help fly the jets and log the hours necessary to earn a license.
We had a couple of those ball bearing mousetraps. They only work for about 12-14 years.
There is not space at the maintenance hubs to park all these planes. Regional airports also lack space and the necessary staff to cycle and maintain the aircraft.
It is a very big problem for the airlines and I am uncertain how quickly air travel will come back to even a minimal level of what we had only two months ago.
Businesses are suffering right now and it will take many of them years to recover from this. For the past two months they have seen the advantages of tele-work and video conferencing instead of in-person travel so there will likely be a downward force on business travel because it is expensive and not always necessary. The average Joe has also suffered during this pandemic and will have less discretionary income for leisure travel in the near term and a paranoia for travel in general for some time.
The airlines are going to scale back in size to adjust. The sad thing is that the fuel prices are so low now they would have enjoyed their highest profitability, but not even dirt cheap fuel can fix this.
The sled was designed to leak. There was no sealant that could withstand the temperature of the skin at speed. Once the plane warmed up, the tanks expanded and the leaks stopped. In flight the plane grew by 11 inches due to thermal expansion.
Thanks for the details. Beautiful old plane.
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