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Since 9/11, has any airline had scheduled international passenger flights with a technical stop at any US airport?

(A technical stop means all passengers and crew stay on the plane without going through US Customs or Immigration, i.e. the plane stops only for fuel.)

StephenS
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  • was it more common just prior to 9/11? of is it more like in the 21st century? –  Mar 02 '22 at 09:35
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    @ymb1 Someone claimed it was banned after 9/11, but I can’t find such a law, so now I’m trying to see if there’s an example to prove the negative. – StephenS Mar 02 '22 at 13:03
  • When you stay “international”, I suppose you actually mean from outside the US to outside the US? Otherwise see https://www.reddit.com/r/flightradar24/comments/sqi42e/american_airlines_delhi_to_jfk_flight_diverting/ – jcaron Mar 04 '22 at 12:57

1 Answers1

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International (Passenger)

With the range/payload capabilities of widebodies since the 747-400, I can think of only one passenger market that would benefit from stopping in USA just for fuel.

On paper, based on a 2019 Customs and Border Protection memo—

Crew changes and servicing aboard an aircraft undergoing a technical stop are permitted, without full inspection of the passengers and baggage, provided the following conditions are met:

  • The carrier must provide 100% Advance Passenger Information (API) electronic data in advance of the aircraft's arrival if the aircraft was scheduled to arrive or stop in the United States.

  • All passengers remain on board, except for protracted stays. A "protracted stay" is generally defined as the aircraft remaining on the tarmac in excess of 2 hours at a location where CBP personnel are stationed.

  • No passengers or cargo are added or removed at the technical stop.

... it's possible and not prohibited given certain conditions are met.

Tahiti–France via USA

Air Tahiti going to France had to skip stopping in USA because of Covid restrictions (creating the world's longest flight), which according to CNN regarding this story:

... when an airplane stops over in the US, all passengers must alight the aircraft and proceed through US Customs and Border Protection before they're allowed to advance on with the next leg of their journey.

Who to believe, CBP or CNN? Frenchbee on the same route says:

Warning: for French Bee flights from mainland France to Tahiti and flights from Tahiti to mainland France, a technical stop-over is made in San Francisco, United States (stop-over country) and you must ensure that you have the necessary travel documents for this country.

So, at least that's one example.

International (Cargo)

Cargo flights stop for fuel in Anchorage for example.

Domestic

They happen regularly in winter months when the polar vortex brings the very fast headwinds when flying west to lower latitudes. Such a stop is typically not decided on in the air (14 CFR § 121.639 RE fuel to destination), but rather dispatched like that, i.e. regular practice.

A recent example is American Airlines 2323, which is normally nonstop from Boston to Phoenix, but on the 23rd of Feb the Airbus A320 made a stop at Kansas City, MO (Leg 1; Leg 2). The speed plot shows an average ground speed of ~310 knots, which means the headwind component was ~140 knots. A 100-knot headwind as explained in this answer increases the *air* distance from 2,000 NM to 3,000 NM, limiting an A320's payload to ~60%; a technical stop would avoid/limit that penalty.

  • The mention of needing “travel documents for that country” implies going through C&I, right? – StephenS Mar 03 '22 at 14:40
  • @StephenS: ... or for the "100% API" that removes the need for an inspection. On paper it's possible, planes-wise it's not needed as it used to, and there's (used to be) at least one example post 9/11, even if we suppose it's partial. –  Mar 03 '22 at 14:46