APU fuel burn does not matter
03-15-2022, 06:26 PM
#12
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Joined APC: Sep 2016
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I always hate these kinds of arguments. Anything multiplied by the number of flights we do a year is a large number. Just like when AA removed 2 olives and a magazine from every flight and saved millions too.
How much do we spend a year on GPU fuel and ground air? Subtract that from the 131 million too. The people I’ve seen let APU fuel burn affect their decisions tend to disregard cost index too. That uses way more fuel.
How much do we spend a year on GPU fuel and ground air? Subtract that from the 131 million too. The people I’ve seen let APU fuel burn affect their decisions tend to disregard cost index too. That uses way more fuel.
03-15-2022, 06:31 PM
#13
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The last quote I saw a few years ago was the average narrowbody flight starts the APU 20 min prior to push. I don’t really think we should be cutting that by a third!
03-15-2022, 06:37 PM
#16
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sounds like one third of an hour. So provided the cabin doesn’t get too hot (most airlines have guidelines for this), keep doing good work
03-15-2022, 07:30 PM
#17
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If they company were honestly concerned about APU fuel savings, they would invest in better training of ground personnel on how to hook up the air, install devices to prevent kinking, and invest in the maintenance of your units. The vast majority of ground AC units are completely inadequate. On a sunny day, even if temps are in the 50s, the cabin can quickly get into the 80s.
03-15-2022, 07:32 PM
#18
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If they company were honestly concerned about APU fuel savings, they would invest in better training of ground personnel on how to hook up the air, install devices to prevent kinking, and invest in the maintenance of your units. The vast majority of ground AC units are completely inadequate. On a sunny day, even if temps are in the 50s, the cabin can quickly get into the 80s.
03-15-2022, 08:51 PM
#19
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Joined APC: Jun 2005
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While most pilots have reached the point where they are sick of sweating while they wait for pushback, some still think that starting the APU early is putting a burden on the company. Most APUs burn 200-250 lbs per hour under full load. That's 31-39 gallons per hour. Over the last 5 years, Delta's average jet fuel prices have ranged from $1.05-$2.40 per gallon. That means to cool the airplane during a 1-hour turn costs between $32.55 and $93.60. Keep in mind that GPUs and ground air also cost money. Odds are your airline is wasting more money by understaffing ground crews forcing multiple planes to wait with engines and APUs running before they can block in. The moral of the story is don't feel guilty about starting the APU 20 minutes earlier than you normally would.
I don’t mind waiting to start it when I can, but I am definitely not going to sit in the cockpit sweating, even before the pax show up.
03-16-2022, 12:22 AM
#20
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Correct. But if management wants to worry about fringe operational costs, then they have to include ALL costs. A ground airline with a massive kink in it isn't free. it costs fuel too.
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