British Airways operating IAH-DTW??? WTF?

[XLR8]

I've operated the same flight (for CAL) from IAH-DTW the last two nights and on both occassions we've had a British Airways 767 take off right behind us and follow us all the way to DTW and land right behind us. We departed IAH at 1910L and have been arriving in DTW around 2245L. The callsign is "Speedbird 202".

I thought this was called cabotage? I didn't think a foreign carrier could operate within two U.S. cities like that?

 

[AWACoff]

It sounds like it may be a fuel stop. Correct me if I am wrong but as long as you don't deplane or enplane passengers, it isn't cabotage.

 

[Jmoney]

Open Skies?

Maybe this is part of that new "open skies" stuff. Maybe just some type of code share. I know that other countries jump thru their own butts if the US does anything advantageous, so you can bet that every pissant treaty we are signing these days has no advantage for us.

-I would be interested as well to find out what is going on here

 

[cactus]

As long as they don't carry originating revenue pax between those two points it's OK.

 

[Reebo]

It's been going on for years.

BA used to fly SAN-PHX-LHR.

They also flew SAN-LAX-LHR.

Like Cactus said, as long as they don't pick up local traffic they can fly between US city pairs.

 

[AA717driver]

Might be fuel. BA used to run a 777 to IAH. I would think a 763 could do IAH-LHR, though. TC

 

[dispatchguy]

When I was jumpseating to PHX a few years back, we would always been in KC center with a Qantas flight operating JFK-LAX-SYD

Like everyone else has said, as long as there is no local traffic (and sometimes local traffic is ok, as long as they have a ticket on that flight onward for later), its fine.

 

[Mach92]

BA also goes LHR ORD IAH ORD LHR

I have been on it

 

[LaGarbage Man]

Maybe a reposition flight? When I was operating the mighty J32 from IAD to JFK we would meet up with and follow Aer Lingus coming out of BWI going up to JFK. Ran into them one night in Term 4 and asked about it. They said they flew revenue in from Ireland then repo the plane up to JFK for the morning flight back. Pretty short flight for an A340. Point is it went that way for years with out revenue so no cabotage.

 

[redflyer65]

They've been operating that schedule for awhile. Don't think its a fuel stop.Welcome to the Open Skies agreement. Pretty soon you will see Air France operate LA to London.