Jetstar turn back; Failed to Get Authorisation

[kyle]

Here's a new one

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/holiday-nightmare-jetstar-makes-sudden-uturn-45-hours-into-flight-to-bali/news-story/0c6cf752d08818fdd521e59002c740a3

 

[Melburnian1]

A laughable, yet very serious, muck up by JQi.

(the aircraft was B788 VH-VKE, the 1815 hours MEL-DPS JQ35 that took off at 2314 hours, four and a half hours late on Tuesday 27 December 2022):

From 'Herald Sun' website:

A Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Bali made it all the way to the other side of Australia near Broome before it was forced to make a U-turn and return to Melbourne.
news.com.au has confirmed the Jetstar plane was not approved to land by Indonesian authorities.

It was another blow for Aussie holiday goers on-board who had already waited at Melbourne Airport for hours because their flight scheduled for 6.15pm on Tuesday was significantly delayed.

There was relief when the plane eventually took off about 11pm but little did passengers know they would be landing back at the same airport on Wednesday morning.

A passenger, who described the ordeal as a “holiday nightmare”, told news.com.au they had nearly made it to Denpasar when they were informed by the pilot they did not have clearance to land and would have to return to Melbourne.

“He advised they had investigated Darwin and Perth but chose Melbourne because we had enough fuel and it would be better for staffing, and therefore a new flight,” the frequent flyer said, who did not want to be named.

When the plane landed back in Melbourne, about eight hours after departure, he said passengers were informed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was not permitted to land at Bali Airport at the time they had attempted (about 2am local time).

A Jetstar flight to Bali has made a sudden U-turn mid-air and returned to Melbourne.
“Mostly holiday goers who had already been majorly disrupted several times were annoyed and perplexed how a flight could make it 80 per cent and be denied landing,” the passenger said.

“This confusion was share by staff with many saying that had never heard of this ever occurring.”


Tensions were high, with the passenger telling news.com.au crew were sworn at and some passengers were chanting disparaging slogans.

“I was sitting next to a pilot who was crewing to Bali (to captain a flight back to Perth) and he said he has never heard of this before,” he said.

Another passenger on Twitter said it was “the worst travel experience of my life”, adding they were only on the flight because their previous flight had been cancelled.

Jetstar’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner was refused landing at Bali Airport. Picture: Steve Creedy
Jetstar confirmed to news.com.au “miscommunication” between Indonesian authorities had resulted in the pilot being informed mid-air the plane was not approved to land in Bali.

“We swapped yesterday’s Melbourne to Bali service to a larger Boeing 787 aircraft to carry more customers during the holidays,” a Jetstar spokesman explained on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, the aircraft swap was not approved by the local regulator in Indonesia. As soon as we became aware, the flight returned to Melbourne, and we have rebooked passengers on a flight later today.

“We know this has been an extremely frustrating experience for customers and sincerely apologise for what happened.”

The spokesman said disgruntled passengers waiting for a new flight to Bali on Wednesday had been given hotel rooms, meal vouchers and will be provided a $200 travel voucher.

Jetstar has also committed to covering additional airport transport costs.

“We’ve begun a review to understand how the miscommunication happened so we can prevent it from occurring again,” the spokesman said.

 

[Quickstatus]

JQ35 MEL-DPS has not departed on time in the last week at least.
@Melburnian1 has reported the turn back here

 

[Quickstatus]

What is it about aircraft swops that are not permitted?

 

[antycbr]

What is it about aircraft swops that are not permitted?

Is there a cap on the bilatetal in terms of seats?

 

[Melburnian1]

Is there a cap on the bilatetal in terms of seats?

You win the '200 per cent IGA guarantee' prize:

Australia's International Air Services Commission states:

(the last three lines may be relevant):

REGISTER OF AVAILABLE CAPACITY
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the
Arts
INDONESIA
DESIGNATION STATUS: MULTIPLE
AVAILABLE CAPACITY:
(a) Unrestricted capacity between points in Australia, except Sydney, Melbourne (including
Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
(b) There are no seats available per week in each direction to and from Sydney, Melbourne
(including Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
(c) an additional 2500 seats per week in each direction to Sydney, Melbourne (including Avalon),
Brisbane and Perth, provided such services operate via or beyond to a point in Australia other than
Sydney, Melbourne (including Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
Note: In the event that an Australian airline or airlines wish to operate capacity that would result in
the total capacity available in paragraph (b) above, being exceeded by an amount of 150 seats or
less, the aeronautical authorities will permit such minor variations

 

[Melburnian1]

If airlines were like politicians, this highly embarrassing and costly mistake by whoever at JQi should have known the regulations would see the person sacked.

Maybe the 'normal' individual who monitors this was on Christmas holidays, and fewer staff were in its Victoria Parade, Melbourne head office?

 

[antycbr]

You win the '200 per cent IGA guarantee' prize:

Australia's International Air Services Commission states:

(the last three lines may be relevant):

REGISTER OF AVAILABLE CAPACITY
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the
Arts
INDONESIA
DESIGNATION STATUS: MULTIPLE
AVAILABLE CAPACITY:
(a) Unrestricted capacity between points in Australia, except Sydney, Melbourne (including
Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
(b) There are no seats available per week in each direction to and from Sydney, Melbourne
(including Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
(c) an additional 2500 seats per week in each direction to Sydney, Melbourne (including Avalon),
Brisbane and Perth, provided such services operate via or beyond to a point in Australia other than
Sydney, Melbourne (including Avalon), Brisbane and Perth.
Note: In the event that an Australian airline or airlines wish to operate capacity that would result in
the total capacity available in paragraph (b) above, being exceeded by an amount of 150 seats or
less, the aeronautical authorities will permit such minor variations

If I remember rightly the downgauge to the A321 on MEL-DPS was consumed by other upgauges in frequency or size on other routes in the QF group. The increase of MEL-DPS would blow the bilateral cap.

 

[Quickstatus]

increase of MEL-DPS would blow the bilateral cap.

My intepretation of “available capacity” is no additional services can operate between AUS and IND. The existing services may still be operating under the “cap” though.

I am unable to find the actual Airservices capacity.

 

[Saab34]

Worse for the pax as many have been delayed a day on this one already and this flight itself was delayed also.

However, I think the wanting bells with JQi was given earlier this year, and mentioned on here a million times. Expect the unexpected.

 

[antycbr]

My intepretation of “available capacity” is no additional services can operate between AUS and IND. The existing services may still be operating under the “cap” though.

I am unable to find the actual Airservices capacity.

IASC granted VA the last capacity a couple of months ago:

VA 4752/wk QF group 20076/wk

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/virgin-australia-awarded-last-seats-to-bali-with-plans-for-double-daily-flights-from-melbourne/news-story/8b2e9cd1dab74d3297309b98b26c57da

 

[Quickstatus]

last capacity

Yes but are the airlines using their allocated capacity to 100%?

 

[antycbr]

Yes but are the airlines using their allocated capacity to 100%?

My understanding is at peak times yes. QF were bidding for the seats awarded to VA but then decided to withdraw PER-CGK which they moved on to DPS.

 

[Quickstatus]

peak times yes

Time to operate a HBA-ADL-DPS?

 

[RooFlyer]

Time to operate a HBA-ADL-DPS?

Only if it was one-way, that way

 

[jase05]

Didn’t DPS have a curfew at one stage?
I’m wondering if that might explain it

 

[Quickstatus]

curfew

Last year (covid lockdown related). Not actually a curfew per se - just limited operating hours.

 

[jase05]

Last year (covid lockdown related). Not actually a curfew per se - just limited operating hours.

Ah thanks, I remembered something about it having restricted hours.
Just looking at the last few days it seems that between 0100-0700 there appears to be no flights operating

 

[Quickstatus]

yes except for the flight to DXB if I recall it’s just after midnight, there are typically no flights between midnight and 0700. The airport (at least the international side) remains open.

During covid lockdown they closed the airport a few hrs earlier

 

[toowongman]

Time to operate a HBA-ADL-DPS?

WTB-DPS could be a good one, scoop up Brisbanites and transfer in the others. If the fare was cheap enough I could imagine JQ customers driving up there.