The other morning I was watching an agent struggling to properly align the bridge with the door. It took two of them to finally succeed in attaching it. I would be curious to know more about them. Is there a lot of competition in the jet bridge business? Have they advanced technically over the years like aircraft have?. I guess just watching them lurch forward and seeing the large cumbersome tires on some of them has made me wonder if anyone had an opinion on what kind we can expect to be developed in the future. Moderator, if this should go in the Techs thread, please move. Thanks!

Sure jetbridge technology will advance. The newest type of jetbridges can already operate fully automatically, that'll become more mainstream over time.

On the other hand, there's more and more airlines (mainly LCCs) opting not to use jetbridges since they're more expensive than airstairs. Ryanair for example prefers the use of airstairs even when jetbridges are available. Another advantage of this is that they can use two doors for boarding instead of one which speeds up the boarding process. Alltogether I think the jetbridge of the future will be better, but there'll be less of them. Only the legacy airlines, who put a high service level over cost savings, will still use them. Airlines that prefer to save money will opt for airstairs.

I love the all glass jetbridges you find in overseas airports. You get such great views of the airport and of the airplane you are about to board. However, not in the U.S. I once read on this forum somewhere that supposedly there is some safety regulation in the U.S. that prohibits them. Really??? Why is there no safety issue in Europe and Asia?

Do any airports actually charge to use a jet bridge? I know many airlines don't like them in Europe because they are supposed to be slower but I have seen aircraft being boarded using a jet bridge and steps whether that is common i don't know. I do think they have a place and passengers will always prefer their use on the whole and the technology will evolve as will the design.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Alltogether I think the jetbridge of the future will be better, but there'll be less of them. Only the legacy airlines, who put a high service level over cost savings, will still use them. Airlines that prefer to save money will opt for airstairs.

decision to use jet bridges have nothing to do with "service levels". It's a safety issue. It's a liability and safety issue to have hundreds of passengers per gate per day walking on the pavement around the gate area, let alone wheelchair and mobility issues. There are too many service vehicles driving around for that endanger all parties. Combined with a litigious society, this is a huge reason if not THE MAIN reason they are used. Certainly architecturally with hold rooms upstairs, it is inefficient to have passengers walk down stairs, across the ramp, then back up stairs.

There will certainly NOT "be less of them." Sorry, this is just completely WRONG

Fire regulations did not allow for glass bridges in the USA ... also ADA regulations Requre a way to board wheel chair pax. So USA Has a few rules they don’t ha e to worry about in other places

global2 wrote:

I love the all glass jetbridges you find in overseas airports. You get such great views of the airport and of the airplane you are about to board. However, not in the U.S. I once read on this forum somewhere that supposedly there is some safety regulation in the U.S. that prohibits them. Really??? Why is there no safety issue in Europe and Asia?

This rule was repealed, airports in the US are starting to get glass jetbridges.

global2 wrote:

I love the all glass jetbridges you find in overseas airports. You get such great views of the airport and of the airplane you are about to board. However, not in the U.S. I once read on this forum somewhere that supposedly there is some safety regulation in the U.S. that prohibits them. Really??? Why is there no safety issue in Europe and Asia?

AMA has all glass jet bridges, no need to look overseas.

At JNB airlines (especially the LCCs) use both jetbridge and backstairs for boarding and deplaning...those getting off at the back, walks around the wing and then up with stairs again back in to the jetbridge about halfway up.

itchief wrote:

global2 wrote:

I love the all glass jetbridges you find in overseas airports. You get such great views of the airport and of the airplane you are about to board. However, not in the U.S. I once read on this forum somewhere that supposedly there is some safety regulation in the U.S. that prohibits them. Really??? Why is there no safety issue in Europe and Asia?

AMA has all glass jet bridges, no need to look overseas.

Also here at SBA.

SYR also has a couple (at least 2) glass jet bridge

COSPN wrote:

Fire regulations did not allow for glass bridges in the USA ... also ADA regulations Requre a way to board wheel chair pax. So USA Has a few rules they don’t ha e to worry about in other places

I think you will find most places have a requirement to be able to board wheelchair passengers. I have seen all manner of devices to take passengers up the stairs with little or no manual effort.

Holding rooms where stairs are common are normally at ground level.

For LCC's two stairs definitely quicker than a jet bridge.

Oh and since when is glass flammable?

Don't forget about the folks who may want to toss coins into the engine for good luck. You don't have to worry about that with jet-bridges.

COSPN wrote:

Fire regulations did not allow for glass bridges in the USA ... also ADA regulations Requre a way to board wheel chair pax. So USA Has a few rules they don’t ha e to worry about in other places

Not true. Wichita, KS (ICT) just built a new terminal within the last 18 months with 12 all glass jet bridges. The glass bridges were categorized as ground equipment by the airport architect, rather than part of the terminal structure. This allowed a way around the fire codes.
There are photos of Wichita's glass jet bridges here: https://www.flywichita.com/
Another picture of Wichita's new glass jet bridges: https://www.flywichita.com/maps/

Here's an article from 2016 on the history of the jet bridge, and it gets into some of the issues about glass in the US:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/f ... /80806044/

You will never see glass jet bridges in PHX.

I have been on many Ryanair flights and the only place I can remember them using a jet bridge was in Gran Canaria. Are there many other places they use one?

SYR has at least 3 (gates 1, 12, 24). If you look on the SYR webcams you can see the one at gate 24. BTW does anyone know why UAEX doesn't use their gate on the northside of SYR's north concourse to cover both parking positions cause I know they do have the room for it. Also I don't get why more airports that don't have jetways outside the US don't use the boarding ramps that some american airports like Jackson Hole use.

Fascinating to see the older bridges connected to the front and rear doors with the aircraft parked around a circular terminal


Seems like a good idea to use both doors and speed up the process but so inefficient in the use of parking space


And it seems very difficult for an aircraft to maneuver into a gate when the next one is occupied

Max Q wrote:

Fascinating to see the older bridges connected to the front and rear doors with the aircraft parked around a circular terminal


Seems like a good idea to use both doors and speed up the process but so inefficient in the use of parking space


And it seems very difficult for an aircraft to maneuver into a gate when the next one is occupied

The solution would be Jetbridges like in Amsterdam, but apparently they are deemed to expensive...

LovePrunesAnet wrote:

It's a liability and safety issue to have hundreds of passengers per gate per day walking on the pavement around the gate area, let alone wheelchair and mobility issues. There are too many service vehicles driving around for that endanger all parties. Combined with a litigious society, this is a huge reason if not THE MAIN reason they are used. Certainly architecturally with hold rooms upstairs, it is inefficient to have passengers walk down stairs, across the ramp, then back up stairs.

There will certainly NOT "be less of them." Sorry, this is just completely WRONG

The liability bullshit is only something you would encounter in the USA where everyone can sue everyone for every bullshit and on top get ridiciously high amounts of money.

Service vehicles only dock on the right side of the plane, that is why boarding per foot/bus from the left side is no problem at all.

And there is nothing inefficient about using stairs. LCCs in Europe and Asia board their passengers in half the time of legacy airlines with jetbridges. This is about money. A lot of money. 7-10 legs a day for a 737? 30 minute turnaround time or 45-60 minute turnaround time? This is why the user you told he is "WRONG" is actually right. Sure, legacy "premium" airlines won't change. But LCCs are still massively on the rise and they will try to avoid jetbridges at all cost. With boarding by foot/bus, they can board through two doors and not pay for the higher jetty fees.

COSPN wrote:

also ADA regulations Requre a way to board wheel chair pax.

We have the exact same regulations on handicapped passengers here in Europe. And I think they exist more or less all over the world. If a LCC needs to board or deplane a handicapped person the airlines not using a jetbridge are using specialised vehicles to get the handicapped persons onboard.

GBNWB wrote:

I have been on many Ryanair flights and the only place I can remember them using a jet bridge was in Gran Canaria. Are there many other places they use one?

ALC and AGP come to mind from the top of my head.

Remember, there is always a dispatcher or assistant watching the pax board when they are wandering about on the apron, to make sure nobody tosses coins in the engine etc.

As with most things it is not black and white with different airports having reasons for what it does, below is an example of Heathrow:

Against Jetty stands - have a higher parking fee even if you don't use the jetty, if the jetty is broken then the airline gets a refund. You require staff to be trained and holding a current jetty license. Unless on a big aircraft and a stand with 2 or 3 jetties you can only use 1 door at a time. Also you would require more highlights for your wheelchair passengers.

For Jetty stands - Better level of customer service, due to roads being at the head of the stand and not the back if you use steps it becomes like a roller coaster, you descend the aircraft steps and then go up the steps in the node to cross the road then descend the steps to the arrivals level. Jetties are better in the rain etc nothing worse than a plane full of wet coats and passengers.
Equipment - At Heathrow each handling agent has their own steps so can you imagine each agent having 2 sets of steps parked up on each stand!
Staff - You require extra staff to be present on the ramp to ensure no one walks under the wing or engine, also fuelling takes place on that side so you would have to stop the passengers to allow the fuelling truck to connect.


I can't see a future at Heathrow with no jetties, I can imagine one which has jetties able to connect on their own but only after agreements on if it causes damage to an aircraft who is going to pay, at the moment the Heathrow engineers will not work on a jetty attached to an aircraft unless a member of the airline / handling agent is present.

LovePrunesAnet wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

Alltogether I think the jetbridge of the future will be better, but there'll be less of them. Only the legacy airlines, who put a high service level over cost savings, will still use them. Airlines that prefer to save money will opt for airstairs.

decision to use jet bridges have nothing to do with "service levels". It's a safety issue. It's a liability and safety issue to have hundreds of passengers per gate per day walking on the pavement around the gate area, let alone wheelchair and mobility issues. There are too many service vehicles driving around for that endanger all parties. Combined with a litigious society, this is a huge reason if not THE MAIN reason they are used. Certainly architecturally with hold rooms upstairs, it is inefficient to have passengers walk down stairs, across the ramp, then back up stairs.

There will certainly NOT "be less of them." Sorry, this is just completely WRONG

I think you are mistaken about the almost exclusive use of jetbridges in the US. ADA is the word. I believe when no jetbridges are available, ramps are used, not stairs. I don't think safety is "THE MAIN" reason even if it's indeed a concern.

There is no equivalent to ADA in Europe at least in aviation. That's why you can see combination of jetbridges (used at airlines' discretion) and stairs. FR uses only stairs for economic reason, U2 uses both for practical reasons.

I think those “catering trucks” are an ADA violation pax must be allowed to board “with no assistance “ like those trucks so must be Ramps or jetway

I agree with the more automation thing. Though that will be a general thing and will probably use self driving car tech in the future.

And probably just stuff like being made lighter. Maybe wider. Fewer hydraulics. More glass. Better weather seals. Nothing ground breaking really. After all it's just a movable hallway.

Otherwise what's been said. Outside the US LCCs will either use stairs on both ends or stairs on the back with jetty up front. Long haul aircraft will continue to largely stick with jettys. Probably in part due to the whole international passenger security stuff.

global2 wrote:

I love the all glass jetbridges you find in overseas airports. You get such great views of the airport and of the airplane you are about to board. However, not in the U.S. I once read on this forum somewhere that supposedly there is some safety regulation in the U.S. that prohibits them. Really??? Why is there no safety issue in Europe and Asia?

Global2, check out HSV- they operate a few glass jet bridges. I was both excited to see them in person, but also the good view on the way to the aircraft!

One way I hope jet bridges will advance is better mechanisms for raising and lowering gate check/ valet tag bags. That would speed up and organize the process for stowage and return to pax.

In here (a country in Asia) LCCs are used to board with 2 doors open. The front door is usually connected with stair or jetbridge (depending on parking stands and airport equipment levels) and rear door has stair. That way the airline can board the plane real quick and avoiding the long queue in front door. And by the way almost jetbridges in here are glass walled.

Was on holiday last week and this thread came to mind as I boarded an EasyJet plane by the back stairs after walking down most the jet bridge. If we see self driving jet bridges replace human driven ones would it be reasonable to expect jet bridges that go around the wing and connect to the rear door? After all most of my Europe experiences of boarding off the tarmac involve walking from or too the jet bridge anyways.

Of course that would require investment from airport operators and extra fees for airlines. Though at the same time a properly designed and built computer controlled jet bridge should have near zero chance of colliding with the aircraft or anything on the ground. And you could massively reduce the training/certification requirements for ground staff. Maybe even insurance costs.

COSPN wrote:

Fire regulations did not allow for glass bridges in the USA ... also ADA regulations Requre a way to board wheel chair pax. So USA Has a few rules they don’t ha e to worry about in other places

I've heard this mulitple times before about fire codes being the reason most US aiports don't have them. What I never have heard is why....why would a glass jetbridge be a burden in a fire?