Northern Air has dozens of flights daily into and out of Belleville

Northern Air has dozens of flights daily into and out of Belleville Airport, which is highly congested. Northern Air depends for its success on economy and quick turnaround and consequently is planning to replace its large planes with Skybuses, the novel aerodynamic design of which is extremely fuel efficient. The Skybus’ fuel efficiency results in both lower fuel costs and reduced time spent refueling.
Which of the following, if true, could present the most serious disadvantage for Northern Air in replacing its large planes with Skybuses?


My Explanation:
-----------------------------------
(A) The Skybus would enable Northern Air to schedule direct flights to destinations that currently require stops for refueling. ---> This would rather prove to be advantageous for the airline company.

(B) Aviation fuel is projected to decline in price over the next several years. ---> This will again prove to be advantageous for the airline company as the decrease in price along with the Skybus' inherent fuel effiecient feature will overall reduce the cost of operation.

(C) The fuel efficiency of the Skybus would enable Northern Air to eliminate refueling at some of its destinations, but several mechanics would lose their jobs. ---> Elimination of refuelling and job-cuts will actually be advantageous for the airline company.

(D) None of Northern Air’s competitors that use Belleville Airport are considering buying Skybuses. ---> This does not mean that the decision of Northern Air to use Skybuses is a wrong one. Discard this option.

(E) The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs. ---> Correct. The delay caused by Skybus' turbulence will impact Northern Air because we know that the airport is highly congested. This delay, will thus, affect Northern Air's quick turnaround time.
-----------------------------------

My choice will be option E.

HTH

IMO E.

The delay in next flight might affect the schedules of other Northern Air flights, which is known for its quick turnaround, and thus will result in possible loss of business of the company.

It has gotta be E. Reason: The first sentence in the passage mentions that there are as it is "dozens" of flights of Northern Air. Later in the passage there is mention that these are smaller. A small assumption would mean that the number of flights of Northern Air will only increase.

Therefore, if that happens and the planes behind each Skybus are going to get delayed during take-off, several of those could well be Northern Air flights, which would ultimately result in a drop in profitability owed to slow turnaround.

I have a STRONG disagreement on the OA . Can some expert comment (as to why) , my reasoning is wrong.

The stimulus is :
Northern Air has dozens of flights daily into and out of Belleville Airport, which is highly congested. Northern Air depends for its success on economyand quick turnaround and consequently is planning to replace its large planes with Skybuses, whose novel aerodynamic design is extremely fuel efficient. The Skybus’s fuel efficiency results in both lower fuel costs and reduced time spent refueling

so its about finding the new proposal to increase ECONOMY or/and to increase TURNAROUND TIME.


ANS:

(B) Aviation fuel is projected to decline in price over the next several years.
Here , the economics is clear. If the fuel prices are reduced , the profits increase . Howmuch , is debatable , but it WILL be ECONOMICAL

(E) The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs.
It will increase the congestion is true , but assume that the next fight is not of N-Airlines even then the congestion will increase . so it increase turnaround time OF ALL AIRLINES at the airport. Howmuch , is debatable , but it WILL increase TURNAROUND TIME

now consider both the arguments , how do we consider which one is more weighted ?

Can some expert advice , what is the GMAC trick here ? Have I misunderstood the reasoning?



-eski

Hello Eski,

As you mentioned, reduction in fuel prices causes the final outcome to become advantageous to Northern Air. So, it does not pose any disadvantage for Northern Air. However, in case of statement E, the increase in turnaround time is actually disadvantageous to Northern Air as the company depends on low turnaround time. An increase in turnaround time might suggest that the company might face trouble in certain situations and might get into a fix. Hence, this is the answer.

Hope this helps! Let me know if I can help you any further.

Northern Air has dozens of flights daily into and out of Belleville Airport, which is highly congested. Northern Air depends for its success on economy and quick turnaround and consequently is planning to replace its large planes with Skybuses, the novel aerodynamic design of which is extremely fuel efficient. The Skybus’ fuel efficiency results in both lower fuel costs and reduced time spent refueling.

Which of the following, if true, could present the most serious disadvantage for Northern Air in replacing its large planes with Skybuses?

(A) The Skybus would enable Northern Air to schedule direct flights to destinations that currently require stops for refueling. not a disadvantage
(B) Aviation fuel is projected to decline in price over the next several years. it is an advantage which fill support the decision
(C) The fuel efficiency of the Skybus would enable Northern Air to eliminate refueling at some of its destinations, but several mechanics would lose their jobs. well its a disadvantage for the employees but not for Northern Air.
(D) None of Northern Air’s competitors that use Belleville Airport are considering buying Skybuses. The premise provided supports advantage for Northern Air and the Airport, this reason does not negate the decision
(E) The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs. The phenomenon will delay other flights and in a holistic fashion delay overall turn around time, thus will prove to be a disadvantage.

A. The Skybus would enable Northern Air to schedule direct flights to destinations that currently require stops for refueling.
-> Actually strengthens the argument.

B. Aviation fuel is projected to decline in price over the next several years.
-> A decline in price would still increase the profit margin and hence this as well strengthens the argument.

C. The fuel efficiency of the Skybus would enable Northern Air to eliminate refueling at some of its destinations, but several mechanics would lose their jobs.
-> Seems irrelevant, though I am not sure about this one.

D. None of Northern Air's competitors that use Belleville Airport are considering buying Skybuses.
-> Not all competitors could be flying as many flights to as far locations in order to actually gain profits. Irrelevant

E. The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs.
-> My choice of best answer. Delays in take offs will not be acceptable to any airport authority and hence Northern Air will face opposition.

I do chose E but I am skeptical about it. C too could be disadvantageous for the plan. If in GMAT, I would chose E anyways.

souvik101990, do post OA and OE once the time is out.

The passage presents some facts about Northern Air’s business-in particular that its success depends on quick turnaround and economy.
TURNAROUND (Exact Meaning) : the process of readying a transport vehicle for departure after its arrival; also : the time spent in this process.

Also, I need to mention a point about the economy here,as some of my friends have asked questions earlier in this thread related to economy,
this is not "economy" in the sense of a nation's overall economy; this is "economy" = "reduction of costs"/"value for money". here, that reduction of cost will be by using fuel efficient planes, thus saving on fuel costs.

The airline plans to promote these goals by purchasing Skybuses, which will reduce fuel costs and time spend refueling. The question asks you to identify a disadvantage for the airline in this plan.

Detailed Explanation for the options -

Choice E is the best answer because from the passage we know that Belleville Airport is highly congested and that Northern Air has many flights into and out of this airport daily. Therefore, the delay that Skybus takeoffs cause for other planes will impact Northern Air‘s flights, reducing the airline’s ability to achieve rapid turnaround.

Choice A and C are incorrect since the ability to have more destinations served by direct flights (choice A) and to eliminate refueling at some destinations (choice C) are both potential advantages of Northern Air’s plan.

Choice B is incorrect for the reason that although a decline in the price of aviation fuel would reduce the cost savings from introducing the Skybus, a reduction in fuel costs would still be an advantage, although a smaller one.

Choice D is incorrect. The simple fact that Northern Air’s competitors are not considering buying Skybuses does not itself present either an advantage or a disadvantage for Northern Air, although the reasons the competitors might have could include both advantage and disadvantage.

generis VeritasKarishma AshutoshB Harshgmat nightblade354

Please help me with my reasoning for B/E


Playing gamble of reading q stem first helps.
I need to say: It is not advantageous to replace large planes with S



NA operates on a highly congested airport (e.g Dubai/ Mumbai)


Its success depends on how can we enhance the maximum time the plane is in air, i.e.
reduce time spent for fueling or requires less fuel itself or reducing its maintenance.


Conclusion marker: consequently.
So, NA plans to replace large planes with S (y)
because S delivers more mileage per fuel and this shall help to reduce time on the ground for the plane.


OK, so aviation fuel prices are reduced, so in fact it is advantageous to use S. This is opposite to what we want.


Though I selected this correctly, I wasted up to a min to think what other planes are: S or large planes.
Eventually, it seems irrelevant to the scope of the argument.
Imp takeaway: S causes the delay for other flights so we should not replace current large planes with S.
The delay of planes because of S is important, not the type of planes is causes delay to.

Let me know your thoughts.

adkikani - Right on track. Excellent!
One thought: keep an open mind about what "economy and quick turnaround time" mean.
You went straight to "maximum time in the air."
True, but not complete in terms of the content of the prompt and therefore potentially limiting.

The prompt stresses both turnaround and economy in the sense of "thrift."
The prompt reinforces thrift by noting that fuel efficiency = fuel savings.
Turnaround and economy are not identical.

You are wise to spot markers. Again, turnaround time may depend on more than "time in the air."

Spot on.

See my answer below about E.
If you find yourself spending too much time trying to figure out WHY the POE answer is correct, stop after 10 seconds.
"Waste" your time differently. Go back to the other options.

Read carefully but decide quickly whether you were correct to omit the option.
Watch for traps as you read carefully.

• A and B are straightforward 180 traps: direct flights and cheaper fuel would be advantageous to the airline.

• If you catch a word you didn't consider, reconsider that answer.
Hypothetical: (C) for example, could be relevant to turnaround time.
"Several" mechanics cut = fewer mechanics. Slower turnaround time for maintenance?
But wait: fewer mechanics cuts both ways (decreased salary costs, but maybe slight increase in turnaround time).
Decide: "several" implies "only a few" and thus makes this answer too ambiguous and probably irrelevant.
Reject (C) again

• (D) is out of scope. Only one word in the prompt, "success," has anything to do with D.
We know nothing about the rest of the industry. (Don't engage with content that is irrelevant.)

Look at (E) one more time. Take 5-10 seconds. Look for a word or a concept that is tied directly to the argument.
You hit upon the right phrase. You wrote, "S causes the delay to other planes."
A slight adjustment: S causes the delay to other planes."

(E) may be confusing, but it mentions "delay," which is tied directly to "quick turnaround."
That connection is enough, and logically (E) is better than the other options.
(Respectively, those options are advantageous, ambiguous and irrelevant, and irrelevant.)

Nice work, especially because you forced yourself to choose the best answer that remained.
That move is really hard for most people. Keep it up!

REJECT. ADVANTAGEOUS. We want DISadvantageous.
direct flights = fewer stops for refueling = "reduced time spent refueling (quoting prompt)" = quicker turnaround time, which prompt says is crucial to success.

REJECT. ADVANTAGEOUS.
As in A, the prompt MENTIONS this option's factor as a key to success.
Success depends on economy (including savings).
Savings in the prompt come from better fuel efficiency. This option presents more savings.
Decreased fuel costs are DIRECT "lower fuel costs (prompt)" -- that are crucial to success.

REJECT: ambiguous, not enough information, the word "several" renders this option irrelevant.
As far as I can tell, (C) is relevant in one way not yet considered, an aspect I mention because it is a possible trap.
Fewer mechanics = fewer people to do ground maintenance. "Several," however, disqualifies the answer.
Slowed down turnaround time? Probably. Significant? Probably not. "Several" implies a handful.
Too few? How many? WE HAVE NO IDEA.
Without more information, although this issue cuts both ways (saved salary costs but slowed turnaround time),
either the impact is too small to matter, or we don't have enough information to decide.

REJECT. Irrelevant.
99% out of scope.
"Success" is mentioned in the prompt and does involve surviving competition, but we have no other information about the industry.

CORRECT.
Back to the prompt, part of which has been neglected in analyses.

Northern Air has a significant number of planes at this airport.

• Other planes are forced to DELAY takeoff.
"OTHER" describes ALL the planes.
The option does not say "other airlines' planes," though those are part of this group of others.

• This airline has a significant number of ITS OWN planes at this congested airport.
We conclude that fact from this hint: "dozens of flights in and out daily."
The switch will delay takeoff of THIS airline's planes and that of all the other airlines'.

Ripple effect? Arguably, delayed takeoff equals delayed landings, too. More congestion.

Even if not, delayed takeoff of planes including many of N.A's own planes at a congested airport is disadvantageous.

The prompt states that quick turnaround time is key to success.
The prompt then reinforces the importance of quick turnaround by noting "reduced refueling time."
Takeoff delay is another aspect of turnaround time.

We may not know the extent of the impact of delay, but we know this much:
"delay" is DISadvantageous to "quick turnaround," and turnaround time is crucial to success.

Answer E

Northern Air has dozens of flights daily into and out of Belleville Airport, which is highly congested. Northern Air depends for its success on economy and quick turnaround and consequently is planning to replace its large planes with Skybuses, the novel aerodynamic design of which is extremely fuel efficient. The Skybus’ fuel efficiency results in both lower fuel costs and reduced time spent refueling.

Which of the following, if true, could present the most serious disadvantage for Northern Air in replacing its large planes with Skybuses?

(D) None of Northern Air’s competitors that use Belleville Airport are considering buying Skybuses.

Hi, Sorry, I am still confused why Option D is incorrect. I have (wrongly) reasoned that if Northern Air's competitors that are using Belleville Airport do not buy the Skybuses, then the airport will still remain congested. Hence even if Northern Air buys the Skybuses, it will still not help with quick turnaround as the airport will be jammed.

Can I get some help to clarify my thinking please.

Would like to pitch in here.

Why are we bringing other competitors in the picture ??, it becomes out of scope for this argument

Don't we have to weaken the claim about one particular air line.
Now even if we bring other competitors in the picture, we are making our own assumptions , what if they have planes which wont cause any turbulence then??, wont this be an advantage for Northern air to still use Skybuses

Option D, IMO was open ended.

Now if we have a look at E, since the airport is already congested, NA is thinking of buying skybuses.

The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs.
Now when NA buys 4 Skybuses, if one causes a disturbance behind it, then that disturbance can cause problems for the other 3 as well.

Therefore E proves to be the most serious disadvantage for Northern Air

Kindly let me know if this helps or not

Conclusion: The Skybus’ fuel efficiency results in both lower fuel costs and reduced time spent refueling
Prethink: More fuel efficient but is it more efficient overall? What if multiple times to refuel? What if it’s difficult to use compared to the previous planes?
Which of the following, if true, could present the most serious disadvantage for Northern Air in replacing its large planes with Skybuses?

(A) The Skybus would enable Northern Air to schedule direct flights to destinations that currently require stops for refueling.
Opposite trap – strengthener, if anything. This would make the conclusion even stronger, strengthening the point that Skybuses are the way to go.

(B) Aviation fuel is projected to decline in price over the next several years.
A little tricky. But this wouldn’t necessarily present a DISADVANTAGE in replacing its large planes with Skybuses. This almost neutral. The context is just leveled out because every plane would be positively impacted by the decline is aviation fuel. You could still save more using the Airbus though.

(C) The fuel efficiency of the Skybus would enable Northern Air to eliminate refueling at some of its destinations, but several mechanics would lose their jobs.
Out of scope – we don’t care about how it would impact people actually doing the refueling. We care about two things regarding the fuel efficiency results (1) lower fuel costs and (2) reduced time spent refueling [the Airbuses]. This hits neither.

(D) None of Northern Air’s competitors that use Belleville Airport are considering buying Skybuses.
We don’t care about what competitors are doing. They could do whatever they want and Northern Air could still lower fuel costs and reduce time spent refueling; it could also do the exact opposite. Regardless, there would be no/minimal impact. This definitely is not the MOST SERIOUS DISADVANTAGE for Northern Air in replacing its large planes with Skysbuses.

(E) The aerodynamic design of the Skybus causes turbulence behind it when taking off that forces other planes on the runway to delay their takeoffs.
This is it. This impacts the efficiency of the other planes. It could eat more fuel costs by taxiing too long and also increase time spent refueling because of it. Moreover, we also know that “NA depends for its success…on quick turnaround. If there’s constantly people waiting. This would not be a quick turnaround, resulting in a major disadvantage (for success).

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