Latest news with #regionalairports
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why The Boeing 737 Flies With Its Wheels Exposed
Although the Boeing 737's recent history has been rather checkered, that doesn't negate its previous 50 years of stellar service and ever-increasing versatility. What started as a short-range aircraft intended to serve small domestic airports has evolved tremendously over the years. Certain versions now offer long-range transatlantic flights, a far cry from the puddle jumper it used to be. While much about the 737 has changed (not always for the best), one unique design feature has remained: its main landing-gear wheels are still exposed when the gear is retracted. (Traditional doors still cover the nose wheel.) The reason for this goes back to the aircraft's original purpose, service to the less-developed regional airports of the 1960s. Not all of them had extensive repair facilities, so the idea was to keep the 737 as simple as possible. Landing gear doors are big, heavy, complex mechanisms that could be prone to failure, especially back then. A main landing gear design that placed the wheels flush with the underside of the fuselage when retracted eliminated the need for doors. Read more: Cheap-Feeling, Underpowered, Or Just Ugly, These Cars Don't Justify Their Price Another way Boeing designed the 737 for small regional airports was to give it short landing gear that placed it lower to the ground when parked, making it easier for maintenance crews to work on the engines and the underside of the aircraft. Although most airports today have belt loaders for luggage and jet bridges for passengers, they weren't nearly as common at smaller airports in the 1960s. The 737's low height meant passengers could board by a set of stairs, and baggage handlers loading and unloading luggage by hand could reach the low cargo bay doors. Some say the 737's low ride height is another reason why the main landing gear wheels are exposed. They believe there simply isn't enough room for doors large enough to cover them. Others disagree, pointing out that the BAC 1-11, another short-haul airliner, does have landing gear doors despite its low ride height. It entered service in 1965, two years before the 737 first flew, so the decision to leave the wheels exposed was likely not because of landing gear door technical challenges. The main reason landing gear retracts is to reduce drag. It may seem like leaving the wheels exposed would work against this goal, but the way Boeing designed the 737, the additional drag over a completely smooth belly is negligible. The landing gear's most noticeable feature is a giant hubcap on the wheel that remains exposed. When retracted, the tire sits as flush as possible to the body, and the hubcap continues that smooth surface across the wheel without falling off like a Cybertruck's. They're not there to look good, but to improve aerodynamics. Since the opening has to be slightly bigger than the tire's diameter to fit inside, a rubber seal presses against the tire to close off the compartment from rain and debris when the gear is up. Cleverly, once the plane lifts off, the brakes automatically apply to stop the wheel from spinning before it enters its compartment. While there are no landing gear doors, that's not to say that there aren't other aerodynamic aids at work. When retracted, a fairing attached to the landing gear struts covers the entire mechanism. It sits flush with the underside of the aircraft, just like doors over the landing gear would. You can see how this works in the video above. It looks a little funny and out of place when the gear is down, but when it's up, this fairing is the reason why all you see is a smooth belly, with only the wheels exposed. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Irish Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Ryanair to boost Shannon winter services
The Government should expand the State's regional airports programme, Ryanair argued after announcing that it will base a new aircraft at Shannon and offer new routes from the mid-western gateway this winter. The carrier said it would base one of its new Boeing 737 'gamechanger' aircraft at Shannon for winter 2025/26, calculating that this should boost passenger numbers there by 100,000. Ryanair will add new routes to Lapland, Madeira and Spanish capital Madrid. The airline intends to increase the number of flights a-week to existing destinations including Alicante in Spain, Lanzarote in the Canaries, Kraków and Wroclaw in Poland, and Edinburgh and Manchester. READ MORE Ryanair estimates that the additional jet amounts a $400 million (€350 million) investment in Shannon. The additional 100,000 passengers will bring the airline's numbers at Shannon to 1.6 million a-year, a statement said. It will also add more than 1,500 jobs, including 350 pilots, cabin crew and engineers. Jason McGuinness, Ryanair's chief commercial officer, said the airline wanted to grow business at Shannon, Knock and Kerry. But he argued that the Government needed to support these gateways by expanding its regional airports programme to cover those that handle up to three million passengers a-year. Mr McGuinness added that this would allow regional airports to 'grow traffic without being penalised for doing so'. Currently the programme is limited to airports with scheduled services that handle up to one million passengers a-year. Mary Considine, chief executive, Shannon Airport Group, said Ryanair's investment was a powerful endorsement of its potential. 'We see a huge potential for growth and believe there is a real opportunity for Shannon Airport to lead the way in re-balancing the national landscape,' she said. Shannon grew passengers by 7 per cent to 2.1 million in 2024, the first time it passed the two-million mark in 15 years.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Budget airlines contributing to passenger boom at NYC-area regional airports
Traffic is really taking off at two regional airports north of New York City. Budget airlines are powering the growth in passengers. On a random Tuesday afternoon, Westchester County Airport was a busy place. Frequent flier Jill Forrester said she has noticed a big increase in passenger volume. "I have. The waiting room is always packed. There's not a lot of places to sit down. That's why we're up here in the observation tower. It's just a little bit quieter," Forrester said. Read more: Newark Airport experiences another air traffic control outage Why the boom in passengers at regional airports Airport statistics show Westchester County handled 1.5 million passengers in 2017, but in 2024 that increased to 2.3 million. At Tweed Airport in New Haven, a Hearst Connecticut Media study found passenger traffic is up tenfold since 2019. With traffic way up, Tweed is looking at a big expansion, more than doubling the current terminal space. At both airports, traffic is rising since the debut of service by budget airlines such as Avelo and Breeze. "Avelo and Breeze have built routes out of Westchester and Tweed airports to places that people want to go, mostly leisure-focused destinations, and they are charging fares that are potentially more reasonably priced than some of the other airlines that have served those cities," travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said. Asked for comment about passenger volume, Westchester County, which is always sensitive to complaints about airport noise, provided a statement from spokeswoman Catherine Cioffi. "While more passengers are moving through HPN, the number of enplanements hasn't increased dramatically. What we are seeing in 2025 is a shift toward larger, more efficient and quieter aircraft, meaning more people per flight, not more flights overall. This is not a surge in air traffic. This is simply smarter, more streamlined air travel. The number of planes in the sky remains stable," Cioffi said. "That said, anyone who has been to the HPN terminal knows it's time for an upgrade, which is why the county issued a Request for Proposals to modernize the terminal at Westchester County Airport. Our objective is to identify a consultant who will work closely with the county to develop distinct design concepts for consideration. Each will focus on enhancing the overall airport experience for passengers. This is not expansion. It's about being able to offer essentials: a seat, a cup of coffee and a bathroom. We are committed to a transparent and competitive process that puts the needs of our residents and travelers first. It's also worth noting that commercial flights make up only about 30% of total takeoffs at HPN," Cioffi added. There is a drawback to the regional airports, analyst says The budget airline destinations include smaller markets in Florida and hotspots such as Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, but with limited schedules compared to major airlines Harteveldt says budget travelers need to be aware. "If your flights are delayed or cancelled, your options are going to be limited to get you to your destination, whether you are on your way to a vacation or on your way back home," Harteveldt said. Breeze is expanding aggressively in the region, also adding service at MacArthur Airport on Long Island and Stewart Airport in Orange County.
Irish Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Ireland's regional airports to get nearly €8 million for capital projects
Three of Ireland's regional airports are set to share nearly €8 million in government funding for capital development projects. The funding will support 33 capital investment projects intended to improve the safety and security at Kerry, Ireland West and Donegal airports, as well as sustainability efforts at a cost of €7.823m. Ireland West Airport in Knock , Co Mayo will be given €5.66 million in funding to support projects including a security systems upgrade, the development of a solar farm and an upgrade of the airport's electrical infrastructure. The funding will also support the transition of the airport's carbon accreditation rating. More than €1.8 million in funding will be allocated to Kerry Airport for snow clearing equipment, a new security perimeter access road and support for the repair to the airport's localiser – a runway antenna array that aids pilots during approach. READ MORE Donegal Airport will receive nearly €350,000 to fund capital projects including a remote-controlled gas cannon for wildlife management, explosive trace detection equipment and to support the relocation of the runway approach path indicators. Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said the 'level of targeted support is an indication of the importance Government attaches to our regional airports, which facilitate connectivity'. Mr O'Brien highlighted the installation the solar farm at Ireland West airport and the expansion of Donegal's farm. Last year, overall passenger traffic across Irish regional airports was 7 per cent higher than in 2023, with a further 6 per cent growth in passenger traffic in those airports in the first quarter, which he said was supported by Exchequer funding from the department. The funding came under the existing regional airports programme, which is due to end in December. Mr O'Brien said a new programme, for the period 2026 to 2030 is being prepared 'as a matter of priority'.
