Super cheap way to get to Europe

I see an SQ A380 had to be diverted to Stewart International a few hours ago with runways at JFK closed due to weather. Would have been an interesting site for locals.

Quote: Aussie

I see an SQ A380 had to be diverted to Stewart International a few hours ago with runways at JFK closed due to weather. Would have been an interesting site for locals.

If they saw it on the ground, they probably thought it was the new terminal building :)

Quote: Nareed

If they saw it on the ground, they probably thought it was the new terminal building :)

In 2016 Stewart International was boarding an average of 386 passengers per day. Now that has gone up, of course with the Norwegian narrow body flights to Ireland, Scotland and Norway.

The Singapore Airline's A380 had 350 passengers . Still there seemed to be no good reason to leave them on the runway for four hours. Perhaps they had to send to JFK for a truck to bring them a set of mobile stairs to disembark.

Quote: Pacomartin

Perhaps they had to send to JFK for a truck to bring them a set of mobile stairs to disembark.

That would be my guess too. i can't imagine any airports that don't have A380 scheduled service would have stairs big enough.

Quote: Pacomartin

The Singapore Airline's A380 had 350 passengers . Still there seemed to be no good reason to leave them on the runway for four hours. Perhaps they had to send to JFK for a truck to bring them a set of mobile stairs to disembark.

Wouldn't that have taken more than 4 hours, given the weather conditions and the fact that you can't just drive a stair truck on a highway? They also had to figure out what to do with the passengers, and how to do it. Or maybe the heat at the terminal didn't work? :)

Someone was recently flying Icelandic Air and became disruptively drunk. He had the decency to say he was sorry and had been sober for two years. Must be a nice place to visit.

Quote: DRich

That would be my guess too. i can't imagine any airports that don't have A380 scheduled service would have stairs big enough.

Although passenger service at the airport is minimal, they are used to handling very large military planes. The runway is almost 12,000' long (3600 meters). The A380 requires 3000 meters to land and takeoff.

The implication is that the A380 just landed at a tiny airport, when in fact Stewart is designated for emergency landings.

In 1939, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point built the first airfield at Stewart for cadet aviation training, later dedicating it as the "Wings of West Point." In 1948, the airfield became Stewart Air Force Base.

Quote: Pacomartin

The implication is that the A380 just landed at a tiny airport, when in fact Stewart is designated for emergency landings.

The commonsense assumption about tiny towns no one's ever heard of is that at best they have a tiny airfield for prop planes, like all those places in Alaska one can only reach by plane (at least during several months). So it's always a surprise when you find out many of these no-account places can handle even big jets.

Now, if the great metropolis of Newburgh, NY is set up to handle big military planes, like transports or even perhaps B-52s, shouldn't they have air stairs that can handle an A380?

Quote: Nareed

Now, if the great metropolis of Newburgh, NY is set up to handle big military planes, like transports or even perhaps B-52s, shouldn't they have air stairs that can handle an A380?

They had C-5 and C-17 cargo planes. I don't think they had B-52s
Stewart Airport is only 15 miles from West Point.

Stairs are often on wheels or else on specialized motor vehicles and might often exist as standby equipment suitable for additional uses.