Why a technical stop?

flyingcheesehead

flyingcheesehead

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Hi all,

I'm wondering why a 787 would need a technical stop 1/2 hour from the destination on a flight that's only about 6 hours total?

Qatar Airways flight 1387, OTHH-HUEN-HRYR-OTHH.

I was thinking maybe there wasn't any fuel at HRYR, but ForeFlight at least says there's Jet-A1 there and I would be surprised if Kigali International had no fuel...

So why do they have a 1:10 "technical stop" listed? My understanding is that a tech stop is just for servicing the airplane, and nobody deplanes or goes through Customs?
 
Could be as simple as a miscalculation in the fuel load. Most logical answer.

Or, could be that they were advised to expect lengthy hold or delay vectors at destination?

But I bet they're not talking.
 
They stop to pray?
Back in olden times, when we were still riding on pterodactyls, Turk Hava Yollari would not take off if it was time for prayer.
I vaguely recollect a couple of other Middle Eastern and North African short haul airlines doing the same thing.
 
Tech stops also sometimes include crew swaps. There may be a logistical reason for scheduling purposes.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Tech stops also sometimes include crew swaps. There may be a logistical reason for scheduling purposes.
Click to expand...
That is expensive stop for such a crew change.

Tim

Sent from my SM-J737T using Tapatalk
 
ME state subsidized airlines. Cost is no object.
 
With one of my 121 jobs, tech stops were rather common. The dispatchers did a great job of balancing payload and fuel. For example, a flight from KSEA to Lihue might have a tech stop in Kahului. IIRC, the flight plan was for landing in Lihue, but in case of a flight planned higher fuel burn, a stop for gas might be required a few miles short of the destination. (for example, the FP is dispatched with FL280 and a tech stop, but if FL300 or higher was available, then no tech stop needed.) Usually, the flight plan was spot on within several hundred pounds and the crew could get to Lihue with plenty of gas. If the winds or lower altitude caused a higher burn than optimal, the flight would still be dispatched, and a stop could/would be made. Full airplane of pax and bags and groceries could be dispatched - vs, less revenue and a guarantee landing in Lihue. Generally, a stop would not be required, but it sure was nice to have the stop planned if needed. I'm ain't smart enough to know the difference between Flag, Domestic, and Supplemental fuel requirements, but Google would help. ICAO requirements are similar, I think.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Tech stops also sometimes include crew swaps. There may be a logistical reason for scheduling purposes.
Click to expand...

When I lived in the Gulf I used to fly BA to/from London. The flight stopped in Bahrain where the cabin crew changed, then on to Doha, Qatar (25 minutes) where the flight crew changed before heading back to Heathrow.
 
GRG55 said:
When I lived in the Gulf I used to fly BA to/from London. The flight stopped in Bahrain where the cabin crew changed, then on to Doha, Qatar (25 minutes) where the flight crew changed before heading back to Heathrow.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Why would they have a separate base for cabin crew, especially with the amount of money spent for an extra stop? Extra cycles on a jet ain't cheap.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Interesting. Why would they have a separate base for cabin crew, especially with the amount of money spent for an extra stop? Extra cycles on a jet ain't cheap.
Click to expand...
Labor laws, maybe? Labor is the single most easily controllable cost, too. That might be a part of the decision. I really shouldn't try to figure these things out. I'm still trying to figure out how to make glass steam gauges.

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