Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[Rebelde]

I did not think there was a market for CLT-Beijing... I guess we will have plenty of connecting traffic to fill up the plane.

[orulz]

http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf101/474516_web.pdf

clt-beijing-phl-bejing-clt?

No, clt-phl-beijing-phl-clt.

While this is not the same as a nonstop flight, this will be very convenient in that you won't have to worry about missing connecting flights, the connection will be pretty much guaranteed to be as short as possible, and you won't have to worry about picking your luggage up to move between domestic and international terminals when you transfer.

[DeeMan]

I am traveling to Beijing in 3 weeks and a flight like that would be very convenient. I am making a connection in DC and it's going to be a pain. Charlotte is long overdue direct flights to Asia!

[Route]

The South definitely needs a China flight but Charlotte should push for Hong Kong before Shanghai. Have any of you ever been to Shanghai's dump of an airport. Trust me it stinks. Hong Kong's airport is one of the world's biggest and has been voted best airport in the world 3 years in a row. If you're flying to Asia, this airport is where you want to make your connections out of.

[moving uptown]

The South definitely needs a China flight but Charlotte should push for Hong Kong before Shanghai. Have any of you ever been to Shanghai's dump of an airport. Trust me it stinks. Hong Kong's airport is one of the world's biggest and has been voted best airport in the world 3 years in a row. If you're flying to Asia, this airport is where you want to make your connections out of.

have you been to singapores changi airport? wowowow. absolutely beautiful, hell it even has an art galllery.

On topic, there was an article in the paper two days ago with the usair spokesperson saying that clt would not be getting a china flight until 2014 at the earliest when usair gets the new airbus a350. In the mean time, usair does not have a plane capable of going the distance from phi - shanghai. they would have to lease or buy an a340-400 to make the trek and they are not exactly laying around for the taking. that is why, at least the article in the paper said, that usair would concede the 2008 china route award to delta and make the push in 2009.

Edited June 29, 2007 by moving uptown

[Rebelde]

have you been to singapores changi airport? wowowow. absolutely beautiful, hell it even has an art galllery.

On topic, there was an article in the paper two days ago with the usair spokesperson saying that clt would not be getting a china flight until 2014 at the earliest when usair gets the new airbus a350. In the mean time, usair does not have a plane capable of going the distance from phi - shanghai. they would have to lease or buy an a340-400 to make the trek and they are not exactly laying around for the taking. that is why, at least the article in the paper said, that usair would concede the 2008 china route award to delta and make the push in 2009.

USAirways is in the talks with some leasing companies with some aircraft, and Besides, I believe the A-330-200 can make a Asia/CLT/PHL flight, which is supposed to be delivered 2009.

USAirways tried to get Air Canadas A-340-500, but they did not bid high enough, or had clear plans, so they lost the bid.

USAirways, as far as I know, does not plan on getting the A-340 unless awarded a Asian slot.

[DeeMan]

Considering we won't get an Asia flight for a while it would make sense that the first flight would be Beijing, by the time we get out flight they will have their new aiport, the world's largest!

http://www.worldtraveldirectories.com/Chin...nal-Airport.jpg

[Route]

Yes Changi rocks. I'll be in that airport next week. I love it. USAirways screwed up big time not buying 787's. Airbus must have really dropped their pants on the price.

[monsoon]

Yes Changi rocks. I'll be in that airport next week. I love it. USAirways screwed up big time not buying 787's. Airbus must have really dropped their pants on the price.

Indeed. I consider it bad business that USAir has tied it's fortunes to Airbus especially since it is being pulled underwater by the failures of the A380 which apparently nobody wants to purchase because of all of the delays and technical problems. Also, given that they are primarily a domestic airline, they ought to be purchasing Boeing airliners.

[atlrvr]

Certainly agreed.....plus they keep talking of merging....I believe most of their major merger partners are buying Boeing as well......I'm pretty bummed about them not going with the 787....but supposedly they got a pretty good deal on the A350.

[monsoon]

Unfortunately the A350 is years behind the 787. I would like to see a direct flight from Charlotte to Japan and Hong Kong, but that doesn't appear like something that USA is going to be able to do or willing to do anytime in the forseable future. Fortunately for overseas flying except for the few flights that USA has to Europe it really doesn't matter that much. There are better airlines to go overseas on.

[Rebelde]

I was reading a article that USAirways was going to save hundreds of millions going with the A-350.

The A-350 is also supposedly going to be more advanced than the 787, and be more fuel efficient.

Airbus was even quoted that "Composite engines are old fashioned". The A-350 will be better than the 787 probably.

Besides, USAirways is getting A-330-200 aircraft to be delivered starting 2008 which can make a Asia-USA flight, I'm pretty sure. We are getting 8+ of them babies.

I know the guys at the sandcastle suck at running a airline, but I think they did somthing good for once.

Also, US would have went with the 787, And the A-320 family, but Boeing said all or nothing.

Let us also not forget our 10 757 ETOPS aircraft that will serve as Transatlantic aircraft.

10 757 ETOPS

8+ A-330-200

9+ A-330-300

9+ 767-200

22 A-350-900/1000

How did we conclude that going with Airbus was a bad choice?

Edited June 30, 2007 by Rebelde

[atlrvr]

Nothing against Airbus I suppose, but growing up on Piedmont, I have a certain fondness for the old loud 727 and 737.....I'm not sure I buy the A350 is going to be superior to the 787, as it seemed like they kept tweaking the plane to be competitive with the 787 and respond to customer demands, rather than raise the bar. I'd also be worried that Airbus may not make it if they can't get the A380 problems worked out and get some aircraft delivered.

[monsoon]

The A-350 is also supposedly going to be more advanced than the 787, and be more fuel efficient.

Airbus was even quoted that "Composite engines are old fashioned". The A-350 will be better than the 787 probably.

Yet they are redesigning the A-350 to use more composites because of the 787. Airbus also made the same marketing accolades for the A380 and that plane is turning out to be a financial disaster for the consortium. It also cause them to lose sight of where modern airlines want to go whereas Boeing hit the mark exactly with the 787. Sales of the 787 are booming as a result.

Regardless of that its just another reason, amongst a long list of reasons, that I don't like to fly on USairways.

[Rebelde]

I remember reading that USAirways has more boardings than Northwest, and Continental.

Obviously they are doing somthing right?

[atlrvr]

And GM sells more cars than Porsche, but Porsche is the most profitable car company in the world......

I'm pulling for USAirways, and glad to see that they are at the brightest point in years, I just hate to think they are building a house of cards, and that one day debt and operating costs are going to turn the lights out on them forever.

[Route]

the A350 won't be more advavnced than the 787, it will be slightly larger but where as the 787 is built entirely of composites, the 350 is just using composit wings. It's a copycat plane. That's why all the sales so far have mainly been just Asian start ups. No major airlines have purchased the plane except USAirways and Emerites where as the 787 has sold almost 700 to over 45 airlines.

[Nostyle]

I apologize if the answer to my question is hidden somewhere in the past 38 pages of this thread (I honestly did try to find it), but what is being built just north of concourse E?

[CLT]

I apologize if the answer to my question is hidden somewhere in the past 38 pages of this thread (I honestly did try to find it), but what is being built just north of concourse E?

I think its the Terminal E expansion.

[jme3]

The A350 is Airbus's grudging confirmation that Boeing's strategy has been correct all along. The A380 it would seem is an albatross for Airbus and was ultimately not a sound strategy to address where the market was or the direction it was headed but was rather only a vain attempt to dethrone Boeing. Very large airplanes are nothing truly exceptional and are certainly nothing out of reach of America's capabilities; if the feasibility of size itself was the achievement then America beat the world to that punch with the Lockheed C5 Galaxy (albeit a military plane) decades ago so there's nothing new under the sun. So as the market has confirmed, once again Boeing is the pacesetter with the 787 and Airbus with the A350 is a day late and a dollar short. Or to be more precise by the time it actually hits the market, will be several years late and with billions spent playing catch up.

[Nostyle]

I think its the Terminal E expansion.

That's another 8-12 gates, right? The foundation was already laid...I just had a hard time figuring out how it would connect to the rest of Terminal E.

[RiverwoodCLT]

Most US airports, the 380 could not use due to the runways not strong enough and all terminals would have to be retro fitted to accept the 380. It is for long international routes and would not fit most of the internal routes here in the US.

The cost would be for a few select airlines that do mostly international routes.

Most US airline would not buy a 380 because it does not fit their business model..

[monsoon]

....

Most US airline would not buy a 380 because it does not fit their business model..

Both Federal Express and United Parcel service have canceled their orders for the cargo version of this plane. The A380 did not live up to the promises being made for it. It should be noted that versions of the 787 can also fly the same international routes the A380 can and being that it is a smaller plane, it gives the airlines more flexibility in scheduling and less risk than buying an A380.

Airbus tried to build a 747 killer and in the process didn't take note that the industry, for numerous reasons really needs something different than a concept born in the late 1960s. Boeing, in not trying to one up the, did figure this out and has designed a better more suitable plane for today's needs with the 787. (just like they did with the 747 in its day. )

[monsoon]

Charlotte's airport is now ranked last in the entire nation in departure times. According to WCNC you stand a 1 in 4 chance in being on a late plane if you fly out of Charlotte-Douglass.

It appears to be a problem with USAways not spending enough money on it's fleet and training people and in the airport not understanding the basic logistics of operating a hub airport.

[dubone]

When does the extra runway open? I'm not sure it will solve the problem, but it will certainly help.