You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Afghanistan
U.S. Considers Ordering Commercial Airlines to Help in Afghan Evacuation
2021-08-22
Posted by:Skidmark

#7  Those capable of eventually getting airborne will take months to get them in flying condition let alone mission ready. Most are there for spare parts purposes.
Posted by: illeagle    2021-08-22 20:17  

#6  Yesterday's Drone

Posted by: Skidmark   2021-08-22 19:57  

#5  but it's a handful the major airlines simply can't afford right now.

It would seem there is are lots of spare long haul airliners since international air travel has cratered.
Posted by: Omaviper Lumumba3702   2021-08-22 16:44  

#4  #2 I didn't think the problem was a shortage of aircraft (we have the largest air force in the world, no?)

Not so much a shortage of aircraft as where those aircraft are heading. They'll be going to the places where we're dropping off the refugees (Qatar, Oman, etc) and taking them elsewhere on refugee-only flights. That way we've got some (though nowhere near enough) control on who's getting out, and they're going from Control Point A to Control Point B with (theoretically) folks processing them at each end and not airline crew saying 'Buh-bye' at the gate.

Likely we'll screw this up too, but it bears some resemblance to organization and planning, so we'll see.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2021-08-22 15:12  

#3  You want your mil transports doing short haul to transfer stations for the 'civilian' craft to do the long haul. Remember all those in the West flashing their virtue about taking 'X' thousands. It's a long way to the West.

Notice the Chinese are not virtue flashing.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2021-08-22 14:49  

#2  I didn't think the problem was a shortage of aircraft (we have the largest air force in the world, no?)

This reeks of desperation--throwing anything and everything up against the wall and hoping to high heaven that something sticks.
Posted by: Tom   2021-08-22 14:26  

#1  ...The order has in fact gone out. Now, this next part is strictly RUMINT only, but I'm hearing noises to the effect that the airlines are giving some pushback this time.

In the end they'll do it - Uncle Sugar helped pay for those planes; that's the point of the CRAF - but they also need every seat they have in the air carrying paying passengers. It's only a comparative handful of aircraft, but it's a handful the major airlines simply can't afford right now.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2021-08-22 12:23  

00:00