Long way around the Gulf

[bjen9337]

Can anyone explain the routing on these two Frontier flights?

FFT 017           14-Feb-2012    &     18-fEB-2012
 
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/FFT17/history/20120218/2015Z/MMUN/KSTL

Normally it is an approximate 2.5 hrs. direct flight. On these two days, the flight plan went around the western edge of the Gulf, and took ~ 7 hrs.

[sykocus]

I'm just guessing here, but weather may have been an issue. There probably aren't any NEXRAD antennas sitting out in the middle of the gulf so the weather that is being painted on the map might not show the whole picture. Or there may have been some maintenance/equipment issue with plane which required them to stay over land.

[joeyb747]

I'm just guessing here, but weather may have been an issue. There probably aren't any NEXRAD antennas sitting out in the middle of the gulf so the weather that is being painted on the map might not show the whole picture. Or there may have been some maintenance/equipment issue with plane which required them to stay over land.

Agreed 100%.

[MikeNYC]

I'm with sykocus...the plane could have been dispatched under MEL with deficiencies that would limit overwater flight. Could be failed HF radio, liferafts out of inspection, out of ETOPS compliance...anything like that could cause them to take the long route. Of course weather could be a factor too.