Virgin flights to Bali require technical stop in Darwin

[AIRwin]

Wonder why the inaugural SYD-DPS flight tomorrow has been cancelled and replaced by DRW-DPS with the same arrival time (which will then turn around to SYD):

 

[Mattg]

How bizarre. Lack of aircraft availability, perhaps?

That inaugural SYD-DPS flight was pretty much booked out, so there will be many unhappy campers and not a good look for VA's restart on this route.

 

[AIRwin]

Lack of aircraft availability, perhaps?

That inaugural SYD-DPS flight was pretty much booked out

Weight restrictions?

 

[Harrison_133]

Wonder why the inaugural SYD-DPS flight tomorrow has been cancelled and replaced by DRW-DPS (which will then turn around to SYD):

VA63 is operating SYD-DRW-DPS leaving Sydney at 4:45pm instead, so for whatever reason they obviously need a tech stop.

 

[HS-TQE]

It just updated, VA63 currently scheduled as SYD-DRW-DPS today. Guessing there may be dignitaries onboard as well?

 

[SeaWolf]

I'm booked on VA65 on Friday, no change to my booking yet, so fingers crossed I don't end up with an unexpected stop in Darwin!

 

[Saab34]

I assume due this. Next few days isn’t much better.

 

[HS-TQE]

Thursday's SYD-DPS service (VA63) has also been changed to SYD-DRW-DPS just recently as well.

 

[henrus]

Qantas also is running a 737 from SYD to DPS this evening, at this stage there is no indication that they'll stop in Darwin. Perhaps the fuller VA flights are causing more problems than they are worth.

 

[SeaWolf]

Qantas is probably just leaving the luggage behind...

 

[Rangalad]

Qantas is probably just leaving the luggage behind...

 

[SeaWolf]

Same has now happened on Friday, been switched to VA63 and departure is now an hour earlier. Got a SMS letting me know.
On the plus side, new flight means all the seat selections have been wiped out and I've been able to move myself from row 4 to row 3.

 

[henrus]

On the plus side, new flight means all the seat selections have been wiped out and I've been able to move myself from row 4 to row 3.

If I was previously in Row 3 and got moved I'd be pissed off, I've had it happen on shorter domestic flights but this flight isn't domestic or short.

I do agree though, a stop in Darwin adding an hour to the journey for both safety and being able to uplift everyones bags is well worth it.

 

[AIRwin]

Same has now happened on Friday, been switched to VA63 and departure is now an hour earlier.

As are the inaugural flights from BNE and MEL on Friday...

 

[AviatorInsight]

Tech stop now needed in DRW due to Indonesian Covid restrictions and runway works with alternate airports.

As an international flight we are required to carry an alternate, the restrictions on Surabaya (SUB) and Praya (LOP) mean that we need fuel to get back to DRW if we can’t land at DPS.

The Captain will be making a PA once everyone is on board notifying them of the tech stop requirements.

P.S if anyone is on VA65 on 7th July or VA68 on the 8th July I will be operating these.

 

[Saab34]

Tech stop now needed in DRW due to Indonesian Covid restrictions and runway works with alternate airports.

As an international flight we are required to carry an alternate, the restrictions on Surabaya (SUB) and Praya (LOP) mean that we need fuel to get back to DRW if we can’t land at DPS.

The Captain will be making a PA once everyone is on board notifying them of the tech stop requirements.

P.S if anyone is on VA65 on 7th July or VA68 on the 8th July I will be operating these.

Interesting how come the company wouldn’t put up Lombok, Makassar? Agreements with those other airports?

 

[AviatorInsight]

Interesting how come the company wouldn’t put up Lombok, Makassar? Agreements with those other airports?

That’s all well and good to say what about the billion other airports in Indonesia, however there are a few things to consider before you rock up on their doorstep.

Lombok is on an island which is closed to internationals (as far as I’m aware - most other islands are in the same situation and are closed) because Covid is still rampant throughout the country. Other nearby airports have decided to do runway works during the down time but have been severely delayed because of Covid impacting the workers.

Makassar is too far.

The only other airports open are Jakarta and one other (both too far on the 737).

JQ will be using the 787 so it’s not an issue for them.

Will be interesting to see what happens with OOL-DPS given the much smaller runway length departing on runway 14 (compared to using runway 32). On a standard day (15° at sea level and 1013hpa), the maximum take off weight is 77 tonnes (2 tonnes lower than the structural maximum for the aircraft).

A rough calculation shows about a 100kg drop in maximum take off weight per 1° increase in temperature.

 

[Saab34]

Sounds like the MAX will be a Bali shuttle machine.

 

[andrewpf]

News.com.au is reporting that Virgin's recently resumed Sydney to Bali service (sold as 'non-stop') requires a technical stop in Darwin now for refueling. This reportedly adds an hour to flight time. I was looking at tickets on one of these flights, and this is the first I heard that it would be an hour longer flight (compared to say Jetstar or Qantas).

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/surprise-catch-in-new-virgin-flight-to-bali-revealed-after-major-announcement/news-story/93769032361c01c1ce93c66edd246873

A Virgin spokesperson told news.com.au in a statement that “Virgin Australia flights to Denpasar will temporarily be required to make a short stop to re-fuel in Darwin”.
...
“The difference to overall flight time will be an hour, and we are moving departure times forward to ensure flights land on time.”
...
Virgin added the stopover was due to maintenance works and wouldn’t be a permanent measure.

“This is due to maintenance works and changes to operating hours at airports within the region during the pandemic, we are currently required to carry more fuel than we ordinarily would (to get to alternate airports if required),” the statement continued.

“We had a choice to reduce the number of passengers we would carry on our flights to conserve fuel, or to make a stopover in Darwin to re-fuel and have everyone who had booked arrive in Bali on schedule.

“To make sure everyone gets to Bali, we chose to re-fuel.

 

[bjin1109]

News.com.au is reporting that Virgin's recently resumed Sydney to Bali service (sold as 'non-stop') requires a technical stop in Darwin now for refueling. This reportedly adds an hour to flight time. I was looking at tickets on one of these flights, and this is the first I heard that it would be an hour longer flight (compared to say Jetstar or Qantas).

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/surprise-catch-in-new-virgin-flight-to-bali-revealed-after-major-announcement/news-story/93769032361c01c1ce93c66edd246873

our family also booked this flight and I am thinking to complaint to ACCC about the misleading consumers. although I have a VA platinum for more than 6 years, this is not right, I've just found out..