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Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion


uptownliving

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Just a curious and totally random question, but does anybody know what plane lands every Friday night at 2am? It sounds kinda big.

A FedEx A300 widebody arrives every early Saturday morning, but it's closer to 6am:

FedExA300.jpg

Some of the loudest planes aren't the largest. The DC-9/MD-80/MD-90 series can be pretty loud.

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^Those are really old planes. They are mostly 70s vintage.

True - contemporary noise restrictions were the death knell of the 727 (the best selling passenger airliner in history, until the 737).

/well... that, and the cost of fuel and the third flight deck staff member (the Flight Engineer).

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I just came back from the airport overlook (waited for a friend that came from munich)! A couple of minutes before the LH flight landed a USAirways plane tried to take off but apparently the plane that was trying to land was just right behind it (also US Airways) so take off was aborted and the plane pulled over. The plane that was trying to land was right behind the plane that pulled over and had to take off again flew a round and landed. I'm just curious if that happens a lot i've never seen something like that or even was in a plane when something like that happened (luckily).

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I just came back from the airport overlook (waited for a friend that came from munich)! A couple of minutes before the LH flight landed a USAirways plane tried to take off but apparently the plane that was trying to land was just right behind it (also US Airways) so take off was aborted and the plane pulled over. The plane that was trying to land was right behind the plane that pulled over and had to take off again flew a round and landed. I'm just curious if that happens a lot i've never seen something like that or even was in a plane when something like that happened (luckily).

I've had that happen on NWA in Minneapolis before. I was on the plane that was landing, and we had to pull back up and do a circle. I think it happens more than you think, because there's a guy in my office who it happened to in a different city (can't remember) just about a month or so ago.

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I've had that happen on NWA in Minneapolis before. I was on the plane that was landing, and we had to pull back up and do a circle. I think it happens more than you think, because there's a guy in my office who it happened to in a different city (can't remember) just about a month or so ago.

I was on an American Eagle turboprop once, coming into San Juan from Grenada. Everything about the descent was totally normal, and just as we crossed the threshold of the runway, the pilot GUNNED the engines and we roared away. As we stabilized into level flight, the pilot came onto the PA and said "sorry about that folks. turns out there was an iguana on the runway, and they tried to get it off in time, but it was just to close to call so we'll go around and try it again."

Must have been a big one.

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...

Some of the loudest planes aren't the largest. The DC-9/MD-80/MD-90 series can be pretty loud.

MD-90's are actually very quite. It is basically an MD-80 with a slighty larger looking engine and with a hush kit.

Edited by Shakman
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I was curious how google maps would look like when the third parallel runway is finished.

Didn't know if there's already a rendering or something like that on UP so I was playing around in Photoshop a bit.

Here it is 2412705770_e963606f3d_o.jpg

I just took the layout from the airports website.

Hope you enjoy it anyway (it's kinda crappy)

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I was curious how google maps would look like when the third parallel runway is finished.

Didn't know if there's already a rendering or something like that on UP so I was playing around in Photoshop a bit.

Here it is 2412705770_e963606f3d_o.jpg

I just took the layout from the airports website.

Hope you enjoy it anyway (it's kinda crappy)

Charlotte-Montreal non-stop flights on US Airways will start up on July 3rd. The daily route will use the Embraer 175 planes.
Try a rendering with all the new expansions that shoulkd be interesting.

And this is the third time they have tried Clt-Yul. Will third time be the charm on a bigger air craft?

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Well, it looks like the Northwest/Delta merger may happen now. They agreed to merge, pending anti-trust approval. With that deal, it would free Continental to pursue a merger with United. Apparently this NW/Detla deal will now forfeit NW's ability to veto any Continental merger b/c they owned special Continental stock that gave them that power. Now the question begs, what does US Airways do? Do they try to continue as is? Or do they try for a merger with American? I would speculate that neither American and especially not USA will sit around and do nothing. This may needs it's own topic, but thought I would present the question....

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If US wants to get involved with another merger, they could always present a counter offer for Northwest if and when United and Continental announce a merger of their own. Delta's is offering $3.1 Billion for NW, US was able to get financing for $10 Billion in it's attempt to take over DL back in January. Perhaps a $4 Billion offer may throw a wrench into this merger for DL and NW. If US doesn't get it, at least they increased the bid DL will have to pay for NW. If DL calls US Airways' bluff, a NW/US pairing would not be a bad combo in my opinion.

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Given what happened when USA tried to take over Delta a year or so ago, I don't think anyone would take management team seriously enough for such a plan now to work. USA just ended up being clocked for being the worst airline in the United States in terms of the product it delivers to its customers and I think they need to focus on improving what they deliver.

The new airline will be come the largest in the world operating out of the largest airport in the world and it will control a significant number of international destinations. It may put a lot of pressure on USA now given they could be reduced to only carrying passengers that are trapped in its fortress cities such as Charlotte.

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If US wants to get involved with another merger, they could always present a counter offer for Northwest if and when United and Continental announce a merger of their own. Delta's is offering $3.1 Billion for NW, US was able to get financing for $10 Billion in it's attempt to take over DL back in January. Perhaps a $4 Billion offer may throw a wrench into this merger for DL and NW. If US doesn't get it, at least they increased the bid DL will have to pay for NW. If DL calls US Airways' bluff, a NW/US pairing would not be a bad combo in my opinion.

I can't speak to the accuracy of the $10B, but there's no way US gets $1B in debt to fund an aquisition right now. They'd have to fund it with stock, like Delta did - and that's not nearly as attractive.

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Perhaps Airbus will help finance again. If there is anyone that does not want to see US Airways left hung out to dry it's going to be Airbus since US Airways is a huge customer which has a large order on deck including the A350. Airbus potentially will lose two very large customers if Delta and Northwest merge and Continental and United merge together. While the two combined carriers will keep the Airbus for the time being, eventually they will begin to standardize their fleets to save money which heavily favors Boeing considering both Continental and Delta are all Boeing carriers. A US/NW or a US/UA combo would heavily favor Airbus for many years to come.

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I can't imagine that Airbus will get involved with trying to save an ailing American airline. The politics behind that would be too much for them, a company that is already mired down with very nasty problems, to handle.

You're right to be skeptical of US Airways' long-term prospects, but he makes a good point. Airbus and GE have periodically provided additional capital to struggling airlines, to keep them viable and out of bankruptcy. Airbus obviously sells and leases aircraft; GE sells engines to manufacturers who's orders need to be paid for, and has its own leasing business. More than ever, there are distinct foreign currency exchange advantages for Airbus. I also can't immediately think of a negative political repurcussion behind another U.S. investment - especially after the bad blood between Airbus and Boeing after the tanker deal.

If US' position continues to worsten and if the DOJ (and shareholders) approve DL-NW and UA-CO mergers, then assuming AA doesn't make a play for US, it sounds like Airbus could benefit from another investment in US.

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Airbus and GE have periodically provided additional capital to struggling airlines, to keep them viable and out of bankruptcy. Airbus obviously sells and leases aircraft; GE sells engines to manufacturers who's orders need to be paid for, and has its own leasing business. More than ever, there are distinct foreign currency exchange advantages for Airbus.

And US Airways was one of those stuggling airlines that just a few years ago received financing from Airbus and GE to help them get out of Bankruptcy. US Airways is Airbus' largest US Customer so of course they are going to do what they can to ensure the cashflow keeps moving. Since they have done it in the recent past I don't see what would prevent them from doing it again it the need arises.

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^A few years ago Airbus wasn't racked by scandals surrounding the failures of the A380 and very bad mismanagement. While it gets almost no coverage here, it has been big news in Europe and the governments there simply won't stand for anymore of it. I can't imagine one of the directors walking in these days and suggesting they bail out US Airways. If USA fails, another airline will take it over and it won't affect Airbus that much.

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^A few years ago Airbus wasn't racked by scandals surrounding the failures of the A380 and very bad mismanagement. While it gets almost no coverage here, it has been big news in Europe and the governments there simply won't stand for anymore of it. I can't imagine one of the directors walking in these days and suggesting they bail out US Airways. If USA fails, another airline will take it over and it won't affect Airbus that much.

Which brings us to ... US Airways and American Airlines as the odd men (airlines are masculine, right?) out. After DL/NW, all sources point to a UA/CO combination. AA and US are both on record for supporting further industry consolidation, including to the extent it involves themselves. I don't know much about how their current financials compare, but I can't imagine US having the market cap (or access to capital markets) to pull off an offer for AA like its prior offer for DL.

I assume a combined US/AA would be based in Miami, would continue to use Miami, DFW and O'Hare as major hubs. It seems like Philadelphia would have a place in the new network. Phoenix though? Is it too close to DFW? And does it benefit AA to keep CLT at its current capacity? It was over ten years ago, but they shuttered their RDU hub after MIA became the what it is today.

This hypothetical hasn't been discussed much, so I'm interested to hear people's thoughts.

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