2019 Oklahoma City Aviation Thread

[PaddyShack]

Heard a crazy rumor the other day regarding WN. This is highly doubtful, but just checking to see if there is any validity.

Someone mentioned they are going to have a direct flight from OKC to Hawaii. Only reason I see any validity in this is the congestion at Love Field in Dallas. Any chance of this actually occurring?

That seems to be a long trip for a 737...

[BG918]

0%

Does the 737 even have the range to do Dallas/Denver-Hawaii? I didn't think it did that is why you are only seeing OAK, SJC, SMF and soon SAN as West Coast Hawaii gateways for Southwest.

[gopokes88]

Does the 737 even have the range to do Dallas/Denver-Hawaii? I didn't think it did that is why you are only seeing OAK, SJC, SMF and soon SAN as West Coast Hawaii gateways for Southwest.

The max might?

That’s just way way way too long to be on a SW flight. 2.5 hours is about all I can tolerate

[OkiePoke]

It would probably have to be a Max. Still, Dallas is near the edge of their range.

[catch22]

The Max 7 and 8 can do Hawai’i from Dallas and Denver but it’s stretching it. I’m sure they’ll attempt it from Denver but United owns Hawaii from Denver with year round daily 777 service to HNL and OGG (Maui), and 757’s to KOA (Kona) and LIH (Lihue). That’s about 2,400 seats round trip a day to the islands.

If they try DAL they’ll experience similar competition from AA.

[gopokes88]

The Max 7 and 8 can do Hawai’i from Dallas and Denver but it’s stretching it. I’m sure they’ll attempt it from Denver but United owns Hawaii from Denver with year round daily 777 service to HNL and OGG (Maui), and 757’s to KOA (Kona) and LIH (Lihue). That’s about 2,400 seats round trip a day to the islands.

If they try DAL they’ll experience similar competition from AA.

Does the FAA have regs on how far you can stretch a plane? Like you can only fly a route that's 80% of maximum range?

[catch22]

Does the FAA have regs on how far you can stretch a plane? Like you can only fly a route that's 80% of maximum range?

No. As long as you have the fuel for a legal flight plan (including contingency and reserve fuel for diversions). Overwater flights have increased fuel load requirements because you need to be able to comply with ETOPS requirements. (Extended twin engine operations) better known lightheartedly as “engines turn or passengers swim”

[AP]

edit:removed

[no1cub17]

Heard a crazy rumor the other day regarding WN. This is highly doubtful, but just checking to see if there is any validity.

Someone mentioned they are going to have a direct flight from OKC to Hawaii. Only reason I see any validity in this is the congestion at Love Field in Dallas. Any chance of this actually occurring?

Haha that is a good one. Especially since WN doesn't even have an airplane capable of flying OKC-Hawaii nonstop.

Until that pesky MAX gets re-certified anyway. Crazy to me that the FAA hasn't cleared it to return to service in the US! I thought American pilots were perfect and superior to Indonesians and would never crash the MAX. So what's the FAA waiting for?

[catch22]

Effective April forward OKC-IAD (UA) will increase to twice daily. Second frequency will depart at 12:45 pm, showing a CRJ-700.

Effective April seasonal suspension OKC-EWR (UA) will continue another month into the first of May. Last year the suspension ended in April.

[whatitis]

Effective April forward OKC-IAD (UA) will increase to twice daily. Second frequency will depart at 12:45 pm, showing a CRJ-700.

Effective April seasonal suspension OKC-EWR (UA) will continue another month into the first of May. Last year the suspension ended in April.

The silver line to iad has been worked on for like 10 years and is being tested. Ive avoided Dulles for any flight into dc simply to avoid all of that mess.

[BG918]

Effective April forward OKC-IAD (UA) will increase to twice daily. Second frequency will depart at 12:45 pm, showing a CRJ-700.

Effective April seasonal suspension OKC-EWR (UA) will continue another month into the first of May. Last year the suspension ended in April.

Pretty decent capacity to the Capital! 2x IAD (UA), 1x DCA (WN), 1x DCA (AA) & 1x BWI (WN): 5 flights a day starting April. I was on the OKC-IAD flight a year ago and it was completely full.

Interesting that TUL currently has no non-stops to DC. Really surprised to see UA not restart TUL-IAD, maybe they will in the spring. I could also see WN TUL-BWI added, I know Southwest is planning to increase service from Baltimore.

[LakeEffect]

Pretty decent capacity to the Capital! 2x IAD (UA), 1x DCA (WN), 1x DCA (AA) & 1x BWI (WN): 5 flights a day starting April. I was on the OKC-IAD flight a year ago and it was completely full.

Interesting that TUL currently has no non-stops to DC. Really surprised to see UA not restart TUL-IAD, maybe they will in the spring. I could also see WN TUL-BWI added, I know Southwest is planning to increase service from Baltimore.

OKC does have a massive federal employment base, while Tulsa has little (comparatively). That has to add to some of the reason to have good direct service. We have the FAA with over 7500 direct employees and thousands of trainees per year, Tinker, the Federal Transfer Center, and then easy driving access to Ft Sill and Vance (plus Altus a bit further out); not to mention all of the other smaller Federal agencies w/ employees here, and then the numerous companies in OKC that do business as Federal contractors.

[BG918]

OKC does have a massive federal employment base, while Tulsa has little (comparatively). That has to add to some of the reason to have good direct service. We have the FAA with over 7500 direct employees and thousands of trainees per year, Tinker, the Federal Transfer Center, and then easy driving access to Ft Sill and Vance (plus Altus a bit further out); not to mention all of the other smaller Federal agencies w/ employees here, and then the numerous companies in OKC that do business as Federal contractors.

OKC absolutely should have decent connections to DC, just like all large state capitals. You can add the USPS Training Center in Norman to that list as well. Just odd that currently Tulsa with a 1M+ metro and even larger catchment area has zero service to DC (or NYC).

[bige4ou]

Anybody know how far OKC would be from getting an OKC to London flight? Really feel like it would be busy and would open the door to the rest of world. Not to mention it would make Europe more affordable.

[jonny d]

Anybody know how far OKC would be from getting an OKC to London flight? Really feel like it would be busy and would open the door to the rest of world. Not to mention it would make Europe more affordable.

Maybe a weekly trip. Anything more would fail without massive incentives.

[gopokes88]

10 years at the earliest

[HangryHippo]

Catch - curious about your thoughts on the eventuality of an OKC - London flight? If an airline was somehow convinced to try it (however unlikely), do you think the traffic is there to make it successful?

[catch22]

^

lets get year round non stop service to the largest metro in the US before we talk about OKC-London.

[HangryHippo]

^

lets get year round non stop service to the largest metro in the US before we talk about OKC-London.

Touché. lol

[amocore]

It would be great but a direct to London (or Paris) feels like a far dream.
Thee two good signs are the fact Indianapolis has a direct to Paris without being a Delta Hub and having just over 9 millions passengers and the new A 321 XLR will be perfect for smaller market wanting long haul flights.

[damonsmuz]

Indy and OKC are way different passenger number wise. Indy is pushing over 9 million passengers while OKC has only 4 million. I would need to see 1 or 2 day a week service to Cancun before we went Europe.

[pkirk]

London would be amazing. Given our Vietnamese population, would a OKC to Saigon or Hanoi weekly flight ever be on the table?

The obvious international flights to start when the new terminal opens would be Mexico City, Cancun, maybe even Guatemala City.

[OKCRT]

Indy and OKC are way different passenger number wise. Indy is pushing over 9 million passengers while OKC has only 4 million. I would need to see 1 or 2 day a week service to Cancun before we went Europe.

I'll admit I know jack about airport passenger rates and such but why do smaller cities than OKC have so many more flights? I suspect it's our Dallas curse but don't really know. BTW I am not talking so much about Indy since they are a larger city but over twice as many flights?

[jonny d]

I'll admit I know jack about airport passenger rates and such but why do smaller cities than OKC have so many more flights? I suspect it's our Dallas curse but don't really know. BTW I am not talking so much about Indy since they are a larger city but over twice as many flights?

Well, it is also the Tulsa curse. Not many peer cities have a Tulsa 1.5 hours away (Omaha has no other major cities anywhere near it in Nebraska, for example). Tulsa has 3 million passengers. If those were solely dependent on an OKC flight, then the passenger #s would look far more favorable for OKC.