Mobile Lounges @ Airports

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Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 1,151

Hi folks,

this weekend I was reading a report about the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD/KIAD) in the german commercial aviation magazine Aero International.

On a page I saw a "Mobile Lounge", first used in the USA, reduse apron congestion by coveying passengers to aircraft parked away from the terminal buildings on a jet ramp. Their extensible and swivelling gangways scissors-lift to enclouse to any aircraft door or terminal gate -and so protect up to 150 passengers from noise and weather. They travel at speeds up to 20mph.
Today, Dulles operates 19 mobile lounges.
Sources: The Flier's Handbook - Pan Books 1978 and History of Washington Dulles International Airport

So my questions are:
1. Which other airports in the world operate mobile lounges?
2. Which type and how much of them do they operate?
3. Have you got a info or links, where i can gain more infomation and pic's?
4. Are mobile lounges old-fashioned, or do they still have a future at large airports?

To question #1.:
While writing ths post, I remember, that in 1992, I flew with my father to Paris - Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG). We also used there a mobile lounges to travel from jet to terminal.

Thanks in advance!

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

Any pics?

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 1,151

Thanks for the links, Wozza!!! :-)

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 4,213

Ahh, these remind me of the big tall vechile thing that Pirot uses to cross to the Health Spa on the Island in the TV adaptain on in late August :D

Ive been on one of the WW2 versions when i was about 8 as we visited some National Trust Castle somewhere.

Must fly Washington Dulles enroute to Denver in July so I can try and get on one of these :D looks fun

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24 years 2 months

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One Word - Thunderbirds :D

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 1,151

1. Montréal-Mirabel International Airport also operates mobile lounges.

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1.- 4.

Mobile lounges

A mobile lounge loading passengersDulles is the one of the only airports in the world that uses the mobile lounge system. The "lounge" consists of a 54-by-16-foot carriage mounted on a scissor truck, capable of carrying 102 passengers. They were designed by the Chrysler Corporation in association with the Budd Company. The conveyances are sometimes nicknamed "moon buggies" for the similar appearance of their tires with those of the Lunar Rover.

The "Plane Mate" is an evolutionary variation on the concept. They are similar in appearance to mobile lounges, but can raise themselves on screws to "mate" directly with an aircraft. This allows passengers to deplane directly aboard and be carried to the main terminal.

By shuttling from the main terminal directly to a midfield jet ramp, passengers could avoid long walking distances amidst weather, noise, and fumes on the tarmac. But the advent of the Jetway and construction of the midfield concourses diluted the system's advantages.

Today, the airport uses 19 mobile lounges to transfer passengers between the midfield concourses and to and from the main terminal building, as well as 30 plane mates. They have all been given names based on the abbreviations of 50 states. EG: VA, MD, AK, etc... The MWAA plans to retire the mobile lounge system altogether in favor of an underground people mover and pedestrian walkway system (now in service to concourse B), as part of a major engineering program that will also add a concourse to the main terminal and give the airport a fourth runway.


Source: Wikipedia - Washington Dulles International Airport

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 1,497

1. Montréal-Mirabel International Airport also operates mobile lounges.

I once flew LAX-ORD-YUL then got a taxi to YMX to be told that although my BA flight was still sitting on the apron, because they had the mobile lounges I could not be taken out to the aircraft by car and that I would have to wait 24 hours for the next BA flight to LHR. I hated mobile lounges and the flight was not due to leave for another 20 minutes. They hqd plenty of time to take me out. :mad: