On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 03:01:50 GMT, Adam Weiss
wrote:

[ Snip ]

If it really would be too expensive (and I'd be interested in a cite
showing exactly how expensive it would be), then perhaps we might enact
laws to make it illegal for an airport in the US to have the word
"international" in its name without being a point of entry for US
Customs. Airports that are not in compliance (such as Moses Lake's
Grant County International Airport) could either change their names or
spend the money to become a point of entry - it's up to them.

Good News! Grant County International Airport *is* a point of entry!!

It would be logical to prohibit airports from calling themselves
"international" if they are not equipped to handle international
flights. And the law already works this way for professionals - for
example it is illegal for someone who is not licensed to practice
architecture to refer to themselves as an architect.

You've confused the whole issue of whether Grant County/Moses Lake is
"equipped" to handle "international flights" with the issue of whether
the airport is equipped to handle the no-notice diversion of a DC-10
full of international passengers...

At least then it would be easy for a pilot whose international flight is
diverted to know before-hand if they're diverting to an airport that can
handle their passengers, or if they're heading for more delays.

Why bother? Commercial pilots divert under two circumstances: either
under an emergency procedure, where ATC provides assistance, or under
a non-emergency procedure, where the company flight operations provide
input.

I was on a (domestic) flight that was operating from DEN to LAX, when
the captain saw anomalies with one of the engines. So they planned a
diversion (to SLC, as it happens), as a reasonably close airport with
airline staff and so on. Shortly afterwards, she (the captain)
decided that the anomaly had reached the point that she didn't want to
fly any further, and did an emergency diversion to Grand Junction, CO,
which is an airport which that airline doesn't normally serve, and
which usually handles nothing much larger than a regional jet.

We sat on the ground for about 4 hours until they flew in a
replacement (the last hour or so was after the time the airport
normally closed!)

The point being that the airline's systems had us where they expected
us to go (SLC), not where we were (Grand Junction), for most of the
time we were on the ground...

Lastly, I'd point out that the situation in Moses Lake was (a) no big
deal: no-one was hurt, no-one suffered any injury, and (b) is
incredibly rare.

So let's not get all worked up about something that was a undoubtedly
a screwup, but not a serious one, and it is best fixed by having the
airline try harder to avoid diversions to airports where they don't
have a presence.

All the while remembering that if international flights start
diverting more pro-actively, then the screams of rage about the horror
of being delayed will increase.

(i.e. Pick one!)

Malc.