Transatlantic Flights

daz42C

If a flight was coming from america to Madrid and it stopped at shannon would the passenger's be allowed off? and for how long?

Occidental

If the aircraft required refueling then they'd be taken off, as it's illegal to refuel with passengers on board. They would then be restricted to the airside part of the terminal.

If aircraft doesn't need fuel, they'll normally be left onboard, providing the turnaround isn't too long. This is commonly used by Aer Lingus, where US flights stop in Shannon for an hour before departing for Dublin.

Sarsfield

Occidental wrote:

If the aircraft required refueling then they'd be taken off, as it's illegal to refuel with passengers on board.

That's not correct. Aircraft are regularly refuelled while passengers are boarding. There are certain rules surrounding the process but it's quite normal. You'll be told to keep your seatbelt un-fastened among other things.

saobh_ie

I used to work in a shop at an airport and looking out the window one day prompted some discussion.

Anyways, Aircraft can be refuelled with passengers on board but if there are mobility impaired passengers aboard there needs to be a fire tender in attendance.

Another bit of interesting pub talk, don't know if its true, that MI passengers are always seated as far from the doors as possible, notionally not to impeed the escape of the able bodied if something goes wrong.

Bluehair

saobh_ie wrote:

Another bit of interesting pub talk, don't know if its true, that MI passengers are always seated as far from the doors as possible, notionally not to impeed the escape of the able bodied if something goes wrong.

Thats somewhat skewed but not completely off the mark.

For obvious reasons they can't occupy the emergency exit rows but for (admitedly morbid) practical reasons they must also occupy window seats unless travelling with someone whos happy to swap.

Lennoxschips

When I was 8 years old travelling with my mother I got moved up to first class because the only seat left in economy was next to the emergency exit, and I was too young to be able to operate it properly. (Of course my mother then said that she couldn't leave her poor son up in First Class alone, and she got upgraded too)