Route Development & Rumours

[Timberwolf]

Yes Qatar brought in their own towbar, no problem with tugs.

Adds a lot of weight to a plane to carry.A tow bar for one is over 300kg.

 

[Scania1800]

Sorry I just assumed if they had one to fit a 777 and A380, the tow bar or tug would also fit the A350, but obviously not.



I did say in the future, maybe ? I am well aware they are going to Australia.

BHX isn’t getting them at all. 1. The demand is too high for A350, it will require more flights. 2. BHX has no A350 tugs

 

[Rampie]

BHX isn’t getting them at all. 1. The demand is too high for A350, it will require more flights. 2. BHX has no A350 tugs

Scania1800 you do realise that BHX has a tug that can push aircraft up to and including the A380 so that tug is more then capable of pushing the A350 which it has done in the past when Qatar has sent one in and correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure we had and A350 covering a couple of TUI flights in the past I can’t quite remember who the airline was maybe someone else on here can remember?

 

[Matt995]

Scania1800 you do realise that BHX has a tug that can push aircraft up to and including the A380 so that tug is more then capable of pushing the A350 which it has done in the past when Qatar has sent one in and correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure we had and A350 covering a couple of TUI flights in the past I can’t quite remember who the airline was maybe someone else on here can remember?

Spanish airline World2Fly A359 EC-NTB operated a couple of TUI flights back in June 2022, so did thet bring their own tow bar too?

 

[Rampie]

I’m sure BHX will have a tow bar for most if not all wide bodies

 

[Timberwolf]

Scania1800 you do realise that BHX has a tug that can push aircraft up to and including the A380 so that tug is more then capable of pushing the A350 which it has done in the past when Qatar has sent one in and correct me if I’m wrong but I’m sure we had and A350 covering a couple of TUI flights in the past I can’t quite remember who the airline was maybe someone else on here can remember?

We have enough tugs to push an A350 back. Yet you need an A350 tow bar.

I believe Qatar brought there own on the planes.Not sure about thevWorld2fly.

However the Virgin A350 that parked on Elmdon wasn't pushed back, and had to park self positioned so it faced the right way.

So assume no tow bar was available then either ?

 

[mullion]

Also depends on the handling agent and if not wether another agent will lend one as they are not cheap

 

[JENNYJET]

Looking at Antonov Airlines and their AN124, even at frequently visited airfields i.e EMA, carry their own towbar for the double front wheel assembly as it remains a one-off for this specific aircraft, weight not being an issue. I simply cannot see what the issue is with the A350 and the industry standard aircraft towbar, A350 is a very elegant aircraft and perhaps have fancy enhancements but wheel assemblies have to be certified to a standard do they not? any help is appreciated !

 

[Timberwolf]

Looking at Antonov Airlines and their AN124, even at frequently visited airfields i.e EMA, carry their own towbar for the double front wheel assembly as it remains a one-off for this specific aircraft, weight not being an issue. I simply cannot see what the issue is with the A350 and the industry standard aircraft towbar, A350 is a very elegant aircraft and perhaps have fancy enhancements but wheel assemblies have to be certified to a standard do they not? any help is appreciated !

Each aircraft type has a different tow bar, even some of the same types need different ones. IE A B777F has a slightly different tow bar to a B777 passenger as the landing gear are strengthened and slightly wider.

Thr A330-300f IGW Also have different tow bars to the older passenger A330s.For the same reason.

The Boeing 737MAX 10 may need a different tow bar to a 738 as the extra length, and ground clearance required for the LEAP/CFM larger engines means the nose gear and undercarriage are lengthened. That changes the push back pressure/ gravity point on the nose gear .

A new widebodied towbar weighs over 300kg and costs in excess of £60,000.

So you can see the reluctance of airport handlers to buy one if those types don't come in much.

I'm not sure if long haul planes always carry them, as the extra weight would add a tad onto fuel performance.

 

[JENNYJET]

I feel this is so inefficient, each aircraft needing a different attatchment to a towbar ? I thought camera mounts for lenses was bad but an aircraft costing millions, manufacturers of wheel assemblies cannot develop to an industry standard a universal fixture for a towbar, or maybe airports remodel for easier aircraft ground movements negating the need for a pushback ?

 

[mullion]

So many different types which all vary which all have different weights etc and points at which a towbar
has points that are designed to give under certain situations and limits.
I`m sure Rampie will know a lot more if that is his job

 

[JENNYJET]

.............and to add one more thing. Do not the current tugs LIFT the aircraft nose wheels thus rendering towbars obsolete ?

 

[Seasider]

Good question.

 

[Scania1800]

Seems like EDI is being upgraded with A350 next year ( Qatar Airways ), let’s hope BHX can get something too.

 

[diamond geezer]

Seems like EDI is being upgraded with A350 next year ( Qatar Airways ), let’s hope BHX can get something too.

EDI's being upgraded to the A350 next month.

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX needs more seats from Qatar as most loads are 254 - full

 

[Timberwolf]

I feel this is so inefficient, each aircraft needing a different attatchment to a towbar ? I thought camera mounts for lenses was bad but an aircraft costing millions, manufacturers of wheel assemblies cannot develop to an industry standard a universal fixture for a towbar, or maybe airports remodel for easier aircraft ground movements negating the need for a pushback ?

When you pushing back a 560 tonne A380 fully loaded with passengers freight and fuel.You simply couldn't just screw on another different head onto a basic towbar.
They have to be ridgeway strong in one tough piece of steel to take that sort of weight.
To give you an example, years ago a crew were pushing back a Martinair MD-11 at BHX which i witnessed.The tow bar pin sheered due to it being allegedly done with the wrong tow bar. Carapaulting a large piece of the tow bar through the windscreen of the tug faster than you can blink.
The tug driver survived but was injured.
It also twisted what was left of the bar and it jammed on the planes front undercarriage shutting the apron for hours.

.............and to add one more thing. Do not the current tugs LIFT the aircraft nose wheels thus rendering towbars obsolete ?

Heathrow has the lift up tugs, seen them also at other big airports AMS,FRA, but as far as I am aware Birmingham does not have them.Twice the cost of an ordinary tug .

 

[JENNYJET]

Understood Timberwolf.

 

[Rampie]

When you pushing back a 560 tonne A380 fully loaded with passengers freight and fuel.You simply couldn't just screw on another different head onto a basic towbar.
They have to be ridgeway strong in one tough piece of steel to take that sort of weight.
To give you an example, years ago a crew were pushing back a Martinair MD-11 at BHX which i witnessed.The tow bar pin sheered due to it being allegedly done with the wrong tow bar. Carapaulting a large piece of the tow bar through the windscreen of the tug faster than you can blink.
The tug driver survived but was injured.
It also twisted what was left of the bar and it jammed on the planes front undercarriage shutting the apron for hours.


Heathrow has the lift up tugs, seen them also at other big airports AMS,FRA, but as far as I am aware Birmingham does not have them.Twice the cost of an ordinary tug .

They have tow bars called multi bars which are cable of pushing a range of wide body aircraft from a330s and 350s to 787s and 777s all with the same bar.

Every tow bar has a detachable head including the a380 tow bar which is connected to the rest of the bar by shear pins which break with quite a bang when put under to much pressure preventing any damage to the landing gear.

Hope this helps.

 

[Birmingham Aviation]

Winter schedule :Airlines destinations .Where the actual fun kicks in:

• Easy jet:Geneva,Salzburg,Paris ,Lyon
• Jet2:Geneva,Innsbruck,Salzburg,Prague,Chambery,Grenoble,Cologne,Turin,Venice(Ends Sunday return’s February),
• Tui:Innsbruck,Salzburg,Sofia,Kuusamo,Kittila,Rovaniemi,Chambery, Toulouse ,Aqaba,Bridgetown,Montego bay,Singapore,Goa
• Ryanair:Grenoble,Milan,Turin,Venice,Valencia,Seville,Verona
• Eurowings prague
• Pegasus: Istanbul
• Swiss:Zurich

Think I’ve got everything that I saw on all the websites.