Hi,
I’ve just received a 737-900ER BGW (winglets).
The performance tool suggests that the route BKK - PNH has a maximum payload of 100%. However the flight screen shows that that the maximum load is just 191 passengers.
I know this aircraft cannot be deployed at it’s full 220 capacity. However if the performance tool is suggesting 100%, how am I supposed to know what capacity can be carried?
Do FAs count towards payload etc, as I have 10 of these. What about crew too?
Bit screwed now as I’ve don’t a high density cabin with no further funds to refit and now the aircraft will be flying around with a lot of empty seats on each leg.
There is the same issue with other routes between BKK - REP/PNH and SGN - REP/PNH. The performance tool suggests capacity in the 80% or 90% region but in reality it’s coming in much much lower.
How many seats are you suppose to have? I don’t believe FA’s add to the weight, and even if they did you are thousands of kilometers below the range. Maybe it is the cargo on the flight, but I also don’t think so.
There is no cargo. There are 216 seats on the aircraft.
The aircraft type evaluation tool shows 189 seats for BKK to PNH.
It’s not exact, but if you set the payload to highest density seating (economy/slimline) it should show you the maximum seats you can use on the flight.
The B737-900ER BGW is a bit of a disappointment.
It has cabin capacity to fit up to 220 passengers, but the maximum payload is only 18.000 kilograms.
When I used to work as a real-life load controller, we’d calculate with
Male: 88 kg
Female: 70 kg
Child: 35 kg
Infant: 0 kg
…or with no gender split, 84 kg for a pax. 17 kg for a bag if no actual weight was measured.
Rule of thumb when calculating expected payload: No. of pax x 100.
Afaik AS caluclates with some number close to 95 kg per pax, and when I do the math, it does seem to hold true. Your cabin is simply too dense for the type of aircraft you acquired. But granted, it’s an easy mistake to make.
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You could upgrade 737-900ER HGW if you sell your current varients, you’ll only spending about 500,000 more. I would advise caution if you do this
I got this as an absolute steal on the used markets. Hadn’t planned to use this aircraft but the price was too good to decline. Less than regional jets under half it’s size.
It’s still making an OK margin even before it’s sold 100% of the seats actually able to be sold.
Thanks for your reply.
I get that the cabin is too dese. I just don’t get why the performance tool doesn’t indicate that though. What’s the point of it if not to tell you this kind of thing? I use it successfully to plan cabin configurations to go beyond max payload and max range with other aircraft. I just don’t see why it didn’t work here.
It did work. It told you it could carry 100% of it’s maximum payload which is 18,000 kg.
If you want to know how many seats that is, you need to use the aircraft type evaluation tool.
Here is the 737900ER BGW and HGW winglets versions. This tool would have told you the available seats is 189 for BGW version (maybe not exact, but within a few seats of what you got), while the full 220 is available on the HGW version because it’s MPL can actually carry that many passengers.
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