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On a flight at the end of the 90s, the plane -- most likely a 747 -- made a stopover at an airport to refuel.

In my recollection, during the refueling process all of the children needed to leave the plane. What is the reason for this procedure?

RoboKaren
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TesterMen Tester
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    related: Under what conditions are passengers required to take precautionary measures during refueling? – ratchet freak Oct 29 '14 at 11:25
  • Thank you very much, I also found this related Question. But I was wondering why children, are they more sensitive to fuel gas? And strangely in that related Question the people could stay on board but with open doors? – TesterMen Tester Oct 29 '14 at 11:39
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    Different airliners different operations; also making the (potential) evacuation more expedient by removing the most troublesome factor (bored and unruly kids) is a logical step. – ratchet freak Oct 29 '14 at 11:51
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    @ratchetfreak: except you can't send children off unguarded, so their adult companions have to leave too and then it just seems to be easier to send off everybody. – Jan Hudec Oct 29 '14 at 13:13
  • @Jan Hudec: I expierenced it that 1 or 2 Stewardesses did go out with the Children. – TesterMen Tester Oct 29 '14 at 13:27
  • So you are flying from point A to point B, and stop at some random airport on the way. Then you let your children get off the airplane with an unknown lady? I don't get it! – Farhan Oct 29 '14 at 15:59
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    it's also not always consistent. 2 years ago flying from Amsterdam to Jakarta with a fuel stop in Dubai everyone was told to get off during refueling. Coming back a month later, same airline, same aircraft type, they didn't deplane anyone during refueling. Might have been because of the 4 hour delay we were running on the return trip... – jwenting Oct 30 '14 at 08:50
  • There are special requirements when refueling with pax onboard. Perhaps the first time they couldn't meet the safety criteria so they had to disembark – Radu094 Dec 20 '14 at 06:44
  • Just as a historical note, I retired in 1999 having flown for two commuters and two 747 carriers. None of those carriers required passengers, adults or children, to disembark during refueling. This included the rare occasions when when over-the-wing refueling was used, which could arguably be seen as allowing the escape of more fuel fumes. – Terry Dec 21 '14 at 22:48
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    @Farhan When I was a kid, my parents would leave me with the stewardess for my flights to visit my grandparents, so yeah, left me with some unknown lady. Times have changed, but I'd still feel comfortable with it today in most places. /totally off topic discussion... – FreeMan Dec 22 '14 at 16:46

1 Answers1

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You can find interesting lectures about the refueling in a Airbus Flight Operation Briefing Note or in the CAP 748.

When they have children leave the plane, it is probably a company thing! There are no such rules that all passengers have to deboard a plane during refuel (with JetA and similar). But, as you can see in the Airbus FOPN, there are some requirements that need to be met. Each manufacturer as well as each company probably has its on way of interpreting of the rules and regulations issued by the CAP and the FAA.

Summing up, it is basically by the pilots and therefore the company's discretion what to do with the passengers (or children) on board during refueling as long as saftey requirements are met!

rbp
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Maverick283
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  • Sounds like nothing but an opportunity to sell some overpriced snacks to kids running around the terminal! – Ralph J Mar 17 '15 at 15:15