Quote:
Originally Posted by Admiral Halsey
How long can the bird stay in the air fully fueled? If nothing is heard from her when that time is up THAT'S when you should really start worrying.
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Well for one, it's unlikely to have been fully fueled - doesn't make sense economically (carrying extra fuel makes you burn more fuel), and usually airlines plan fuel carefully and have very good tools for getting it loaded right. Typically you just have the required fuel, plus 1 hour (or a little more) in reserve.
The last MAS statement was more than 4 hours after the flight was scheduled to arrive in Beijing and more than 8 hours after lost contact. It would be on the ground by now one way or another.