QF1 Diverted to ATH

[tomlee1986]

QF1 diverted to Athens - not sure why

 

[Melburnian1]

View attachment 313724
QF1 diverted to Athens - not sure why

FR24 claims it'll depart ATH at 0755 local time (in c.90 minutes) to arrive LHR at 0915 hours.

Sick passenger? It diverted close to Bucharest, but Athens has previously played host to A380s. At least one EK A380 diverted there a long time ago for a medical emergency.

 

[tomlee1986]

FR24 claims it'll depart ATH at 0755 local time (in c.90 minutes) to arrive LHR at 0915 hours.

Sick passenger? It diverted close to Bucharest, but Athens has previously played host to A380s. At least one EK A380 diverted there a long time ago for a medical emergency.

lets hope its a short delay and if it is medical... hope this passenger recovers quickly

 

[Melburnian1]

lets hope its a short delay and if it is medical... hope this passenger recovers quickly

If I recall, AFFers jb747 or AviatorInsight once said long haul pilots (with QFi) can work up to 20 hours, some of which may be by agreed extension of hours. So in theory they should be fine to continue on to London. Let's see.

 

[gethsemene]

Let’s hope so, I’m on QF2 tonight, so need that 380 at LHR

 

[tomlee1986]

Let’s hope so, I’m on QF2 tonight, so need that 380 at LHR

Safe travels

 

[Melburnian1]

Let’s hope so, I’m on QF2 tonight, so need that 380 at LHR

A quick look at FR24 doesn't show the A388 operating QF1 at ATH.

Not always a problem, as apparently signals can be obscured by buildings, but if it had pushed back at 0755 Grecian time as supposedly proposed, one would expect to see it either taxiing or in the air. QF's flight status says it arrived in ATH at 0656 hours local time (1556 AEDT) and is put back to an 0815 hours departure (which was 15 minutes ago) for suggested gate arrival at LHR at 0940 hours, 205 minutes late.

UPDATE: QFi is advising it's further put back to 0840 out of ATH, with LHR arrival 1005 hours local time. By 0840 local time in Athens, the aircraft still was not showing on FR24.

It's part of their job to deal with unexpected diversions and they're well remunerated, but you can't tell me despite rest breaks en route that signing on at midnight in a different time zone and having an unscheduled stop only three or four hours from the end of the trip isn't tiring. The impression from this and similar blogs is most airline crew do not sleep properly on board. As a passenger, I sleep better in most railway sleeping berths than in J class on aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 is again further delayed to a suggested 0855 hours ex ATH with LHR estimated arrival 1020, 255 minutes late.

gethsemene (great name), if the diverted QF1 for heaven's sake is much further put back, you should start to be a tad concerned. But hopefully all will work out for you and a large number of other patrons.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2, the Tuesday 3 January 2023 2040 hours LHR-SIN-SYD departed at 2111 hours. Suggested SIN arrival tonight is 1830 hours, an hour behind, with departure at 2000 hours meaning Wednesday 4 likely at gate arrival at 0640, half an hour behind schedule.

At 1815 AEDT (0915 hours in Athens), QF1's A388 still was not showing on FR24. Worrying.

 

[Melburnian1]

I found a 3 November 2014 post by jb747 in which he clarified that flight crew hours are based on flying time:

"...There are a number of limits, all of which you have to stay inside. They are the same for all pilots.

Hours are flying hours, not hours at work or on duty.

Basically 900 hours per year. 100 hours in 30 days. 40 hours in 7 days in crew larger than 2, or 30 if two man. Max planned flying hours for one tour of duty varies with the crew structure. Anywhere from 8 to 18 or so (even I have to look it up at times).

As you think about those hours, imagine changing shift every time that you go to work..."

From SIN to the diversion at ATH, QF1 departed at 0017 local time (0317 AEDT this morning), arriving at 0656 this morning ATH time (1556 AEDT), so 'flight time' was 12 hours and 39 minutes.

Although it's 0948 hours in Athens, the QF flight status page still shows QF1 'delayed' to a projected 0855 hours pushback from Athens. When it does this, past observation suggests given it's not updating, there can be a problem.

UPDATE: By 1855 AEDT (0955 Athens time), QF1 (A388 VH-OQJ) remained invisible on FR24, and hasn't taken off for LHR.

 

[gethsemene]

Yeah, I’m starting to think I’m probably getting home a bit late on Thursday! Will give me some time for a serious and detailed comparison of the F and J lounge options in T3! (Assuming it’s not delayed officially before I reach the airport)

 

[Melburnian1]

Yeah, I’m starting to think I’m probably getting home a bit late on Thursday! Will give me some time for a serious and detailed comparison of the F and J lounge options in T3! (Assuming it’s not delayed officially before I reach the airport)

Please keep us updated if you can be bothered. Let us know which hotel "they" put you in and how you got to and fro, if it comes to that. Establish how many in each class are on board as with the Baku diversion, there were only 356 when it arrived there, so more than 110 vacant seats (to my surprise).

 

[Melburnian1]

Channel 7 confirms it was indeed a medical reason. The Qantas spokesman or woman doesn't sound very optimistic about your chances gethsemene:

“Our flight from Singapore to London has made an unscheduled landing at Athens International Airport in Greece after a passenger became critically unwell on the flight,” the spokesperson said.

“Crew and passengers provided life-saving first aid onboard and, on the advice of medical experts, the flight diverted so the passenger could receive emergency medical treatment.

“We’re working to get the remainder of the passengers on their way as quickly as possible, but given Athens is an airport we don’t usually operate to this may take some time.”

Many years ago IIRC, QFi operated to Athens, and until about the mid 1970s, the then Olympic Airways operated to and from Melbourne, no surprise given Greek migration that lasted until about 1974 in numbers.

 

[tomlee1986]

Channel 7 confirms it was indeed a medical reason. The Qantas spokesman or woman doesn't sound very optimistic about your chances gethsemene:

“Our flight from Singapore to London has made an unscheduled landing at Athens International Airport in Greece after a passenger became critically unwell on the flight,” the spokesperson said.

“Crew and passengers provided life-saving first aid onboard and, on the advice of medical experts, the flight diverted so the passenger could receive emergency medical treatment.

“We’re working to get the remainder of the passengers on their way as quickly as possible, but given Athens is an airport we don’t usually operate to this may take some time.”

Many years ago IIRC, QFi operated to Athens, and until about the mid 1970s, the then Olympic Airways operated to and from Melbourne, no surprise given Greek migration that lasted until about 1974 in numbers.

Thanks for this quick update and wish the passenger a speedy recovery!!

 

[gethsemene]

Hope the passenger involved is ok and sounds like the QF team did a great job!

 

[Melburnian1]

QFi now suggests after overnighting in Athens, the diverted QF1 (Ex Sydney on Monday 2 January) will depart at 1400 hours local time (2300 AEDT) on Wednesday 4 January 2023 to arrive LHR at 1525 hours mid afternoon, 1990 minutes late.

Hotel stays here we come for QFI passengers in Athens and presumably some QF2 passengers booked tonight ex London: the usual qualification for the latter may be if one isn't resident (perhaps within 50 kilometres) in/of London.

The Tuesday scheduled QF2 from London is obviously being formed by the A388 (VH-OQD) that just left Sydney early this evening. QF2D is expected to depart Heathrow at 0900 hours on Wednesday 4, 760 minutes late with eventual SYD arrival on Thursday at 1820 hours instead of 0615, so 725 minutes behind schedule. Perhaps passengers waiting in Singapore may also score a free overnight hotel, albeit with a very early rise on Thursday morning.

This may affect other Airbus A380 QFi schedules.

 

[Melburnian1]

Just got an alert (in app) of delay to tomorrow morning, if I turn up at Heathrow, will they get me a hotel?

I just raised that point, so you should indeed try for one. You don't live in London I assume and this is a delay that isn't your fault.

Don't forget that you should be eligible for compensation, even though the UK is no longer a member of the EU.

 

[gethsemene]

I just raised that point, so you should indeed try for one. You don't live in London I assume and this is a delay that isn't your fault.

Don't forget that you should be eligible for compensation, even though the UK is no longer a member of the EU.

Interestingly, this will be my 2nd UK261 compensation claim in my last 5 QF LHR- Australia flights! #cursed

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Saw this story pop up in my feed:

Qantas flight to London forced to make unscheduled landing in Athens

A major incident during the flight led to the decision to make an early landing.

7news.com.au

A Qantas representative was quoted as saying:

“Our flight from Singapore to London has made an unscheduled landing at Athens International Airport in Greece after a passenger became critically unwell on the flight,”

It will be interesting to see how QF recovers from the second diversion of that route in as many weeks. Would a simple refuelling be all that is necessary after off boarding the passenger?

-RooFlyer88

 

[exLXCXFF]

Saw this story pop up in my feed:

Qantas flight to London forced to make unscheduled landing in Athens

A major incident during the flight led to the decision to make an early landing.

7news.com.au

A Qantas representative was quoted as saying:


It will be interesting to see how QF recovers from the second diversion of that route in as many weeks. Would a simple refuelling be all that is necessary after off boarding the passenger?

-RooFlyer88

As per @Melburnian1's Qantas Cancellation & Delay Thread, they seem to stay overnight (maybe crew time-out?) which also impacts QF2 today (@gethsemene is already excited to file another UK261 claim).