07-20-2018
07:18 PM
07-20-2018
07:18 PM
Delays are always fluid and can change at a given moment. All airlines are reluctant to post a delay before considering every available alternative. Is there another aircraft available? Is this a quick maintenance fix or is the aircraft out-of-service? If weather is on the way, is it possible to board and depart to beat the weather or should the flight be delayed until the weather has passed? The problem with posting a lengthy delay is you're giving the passengers an expected departure time that may not be accurate. For example, if maintenance determines that an aircraft will take two hours to repair and a two-hour delay is posted, passengers may leave the gate area and not return until two hours later. If maintenance ends up repairing the aircraft in only one hour, the flight either departs and leaves the passengers who left the gate behind, or takes an additional hour delay waiting for all the passengers to return. It's a no win situation. Waiting until two minutes before departure to post the delay is cutting it a little close, though.
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