Today's Airline Flight Diversions

Aviation Notable Activity
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Just wondering if there is a thread on here or some other web site devoted solely to listing daily airliner flight diversions.

For example, today (1-10-08) Air Canada 190 [ACA190] from Victoria, BC [CYYJ] to Toronto [CYYZ] diverted to Calgary[CYYZ], apparently for passenger injuries because of air turbulence.

Maybe another thread/site for “Today’s Airline Flights Returned to Base.” Typically, this is because of developing weather at destination, or a mechancial or passenger problem.

I’m not sure what I would want to do with this information, but maybe the media/public could use it to tell something about the airline’s operational policies. Why do flights divert? Where do they usually divert to? Do some airlines routinely divert, while other hold enroute endlessly and then return to base? Why do flights take off when there is little hope of arriving at destination airport? Are some long haul flights routinely subjected to diversion, say, to Australia or Asia, particularly these new routes to Singapore, Beijing, Bangkok, and Hong Kong? Always interesting to see which westbound flights from Europe have to land in Canada or Bangor to refuel when there are terrific headwinds aloft. Same for Asian flights having to stop off in Anchorage/Fairbanks.

Personal experience has been with United. Because they allow ATC on there audio channels, coservations are fun to listen in on. Once flying from LAX to New Zealand [many years ago] diverted our 747 to Fiji because every airport in NZ was below certain minimums. San Fran to Hong Kong 747, diverted to Taipei, not enough fuel to make it to Hong Kong. Frankfurt to Dulles 777, diverted to O’Hare because of snow. Dulles to Denver 767, diverted to Lincoln, NE because of a passenger having some serious medical problem. Boy, did we ever dive into that airport!

Just wondering!

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Don’t know if I care having the media use the data because they always seem to get aviation-related matter wrong but I’d be interested in it just to see what was diverted.

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ctv report on AC190 Diversion

ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s … TopStories

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dami,

Understatement of the year…I agree wholeheartedly.

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Frankfurt to Dulles 777, diverted to O’Hare because of snow

that’s a heck of a diversion!

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America’s airline industry is a modern marvel, with wonderful people. Sadly, the industry is the most unable, or unwilling communicative industry I know.

Using United as an example, they absolutely are unable, or unwilling in so many cases to tell their customers about their flights being diverted. Their web site includes a feature called “Fligtht Status.” You will never [at least to my eyes] see a flight listed as “diverted.” It’s like a diverted flight does not exist! Actually, “Flight Status” tells you very, very little, or is laughable as to any reason given for any flight not operating precisely as shown in a schedule, as if they really believe the public needs a reason given for why a flight might be arriving one minute behind or ahead of schedule! What are they thinking?

Passenger/customer complaints to United about “Flight Status” have, to me, proven totally unsatisfactory. So, I merely suggest local media might, might [probably not!] be helpful in pushing the airlines to be more open about flight delays/problems.

As to my my Frankfurt to Dulles flight diverted to O’Hare, at the time, Dulles was having a miserable snowstorm. Probabably half the people on the flight were going to Dulles only to connect to some other flight. O’Hare being the nearest United hub, where all sorts of connections were available, going on to O’Hare seemed logical. It didn’t help me as I live next door to Dulles, but I give United credit for their efforts for us onboard.