Qantas A380 reliability issues creeping up again?

[MEL_Traveller]

I don’t know the specifics, maybe jb747 can weigh in as I didn’t think it were allowed either, but that’s what they were told by crew…

I cannot imagine an aircraft would be allowed to takeoff for a long haul without any usable WCs. Pax need to go, the conditions would be unsanitary without.

I’ve had ultra short hauls in the US without a useable lavatory, and I think a BA LCY-AMS. But they told us to go before, and had hand sanitizer in the WCs in place of water.

 

[RooFlyer]

Ended up flying on that nights QF1 which operated without water (suffice to say he didn’t use the bathroom).

Can you clarify this, please @TeaKozy ? No water for toilets, or no water on tap (use bottled water). Or did they use bottled water in the loos?

Like others have said, I can't imagine a flight would be permitted to depart with inoperable toilets.

 

[jb747]

You cannot depart without any toilets. The water IS NOT used to flush the toilets. That’s an air driven vacuum system. No water would affect the hand taps though, but I’m sure that could be worked around.

 

[aus_flyer]

Regarding the 787 issue... this doesn't seem to be picked up elsewhere.

 

[DC3]

Ended up flying on that nights QF1 which operated without water

Seems a bit rough.

Edit: And didn’t (wouldn’t?) use the potty, either. That could be a worry when nature calls

 

[RSD]

Regarding the 787 issue... this doesn't seem to be picked up elsewhere.

?

 

[arrow]

Regarding the 787 issue... this doesn't seem to be picked up elsewhere.

This is a material issue. It would create issues throughout the network

 

[Himeno]

?

Apparently an Italian subcontractor who makes parts of the aft fuselage of the 787-9 and -10 installed parts made from the wrong type of titanium.

 

[RSD]

Apparently an Italian subcontractor who makes parts of the aft fuselage of the 787-9 and -10 installed parts made from the wrong type of titanium.

Cheers @Himeno and @arrow - the post post I put the ? to was a bit light-on for details - especially considering the number of issues that the 787 has had.

let me guess - a cheaper titanium?

 

[RSD]

Apparently an Italian subcontractor who makes parts of the aft fuselage of the 787-9 and -10 installed parts made from the wrong type of titanium.

Just read the proposed airworthiness directive for this - the contractor used grades 1 & 2 titanium instead of grade 5 titanium. Grade 1 is a pretty basic low spec titanium, grade 5 is an aerospace grade titanium alloy - there is quite a bit of difference between them when it comes to strength properties etc. Its pretty safe to say that this was done deliberately by the subcontractor of the subcontractor to make more profit as you would have to be a pretty special peanut to mistakenly use grade 1 titanium in an aerospace application - especially as the spec called for grade 5, and this would have been picked up in an audit after they had thought that they had gotten away with it.

In the AD it estimates 77 hours of labour to do the metallurgy testing, so expect each plane to be on the ground for about 5 days for this, and if the parts need replacing then 527 hours of labour but you can throw more people onto the job - each plane probably grounded for 8-10 days. Operators also have the choice of just skipping the testing and going straight to replacing all the suspected parts. Operators have four years to get the work done.

 

[ozflier]

Looks like the A 380 reliability issues are not expected to be resolved soon .
I have bookings on QF1 thru to London and onto European destinations this coming november and next march.
Connecting flights have been changed to next services.
Both conx were at or above the Minimum Connecting Time for Heathrow (QF-BA same terminal)
The November one was LHR-CDG ( MCT 75 minutes , scheduled conxtime 90 minutes) - now pushed back !
The March one to Oslo - scheduled time 75 minutes now pushed back for another 3 hours.
I rang QF and asked what the situation was - as the Qantas booking engine was still showing those as legal connections- answer from a supervisor- " to avoid inconvenience in the event of possible delays" !
I can't complain about QF being proactive about expected delays in the future but
Can't they just fix the A 380 problem.

 

[Rangalad]

Looks like the A 380 reliability issues are not expected to be resolved soon .
I have bookings on QF1 thru to London and onto European destinations this coming november and next march.
Connecting flights have been changed to next services.
Both conx were at or above the Minimum Connecting Time for Heathrow (QF-BA same terminal)
The November one was LHR-CDG ( MCT 75 minutes , scheduled conxtime 90 minutes) - now pushed back !
The March one to Oslo - scheduled time 75 minutes now pushed back for another 3 hours.
I rang QF and asked what the situation was - as the Qantas booking engine was still showing those as legal connections- answer from a supervisor- " to avoid inconvenience in the event of possible delays" !
I can't complain about QF being proactive about expected delays in the future but
Can't they just fix the A 380 problem.

The time changes are most likely due to the (worldwide) IATA Northern Winter schedule which commences 27 OCT24.

 

[ozflier]

The time changes are most likely due to the (worldwide) IATA Northern Winter schedule which commences 27 OCT24.

Good thought but
Expertflyer also has the same times and dates as the QF booking engine as does Expedia.
They all allow for legal connections for my intended flights.
I would have thought that any winter changes would be reflected on all of these booking sites but they aren't.
I am guessing that QF are being proactive .

EF shows a pretty dismal picture for QF compared with BA on the same SIN-LHR route
Note BA 12 is a 789 and BA 16 388

Flight Reliability Ratings for BA​

Airline	Flight	On Time %	Delay​	# Flights​
					​
>15m	>30m	>45m
BA	12	46%	36m	2h 43m	57	0	0	10	9	12
BA	16	42%	43m	4h 1m	60	0	0	15	8	12

Flight Reliability Ratings for QF​

Airline	Flight	On Time %	Delay​	# Flights​
Avg	Max	Total	Cancelled	Diverted	Late​
>15m	>30m	>45m
QF	1 (SYD-SIN)	28%	46m	6h 4m	61	0	0	16	10	18
QF	1 (SIN-LHR)	17%	50m	7h 14m	60	0	1	20	9	21

 

[moa999]

estimates 77 hours of labour to do the metallurgy testing, ... Operators have four years to get the work done

Must be some very extensive testing then.

But at four years that's just going to be rolled into some other lengthy (in time) scheduled maintenance, so wouldn't have major 787 fleet impacts

 

[Cloud9]

Good thought but
Expertflyer also has the same times and dates as the QF booking engine as does Expedia.
They all allow for legal connections for my intended flights.
I would have thought that any winter changes would be reflected on all of these booking sites but they aren't.
I am guessing that QF are being proactive.

Sure, can't condemn them for front footing. However, this could come back to haunt them in an even worse way down the track. They KNOW how long on average delays or cancelled because of curfew the A380 flights have been. If I were in your shoes, I'm not sure I would buy an extra 90-180 minutes between flights as adequate insurance for their failure to maintain craft.

 

[airlinemn]

Bit the bullet and moved my flight forwards a day for next week. No issues this week probably means next week will be a cluster f&$&@.

And with A380 issues and QANTAS - when it rains, it pours.

Worse things than a day in LA I guess.

 

[RSD]

Bit the bullet and moved my flight forwards a day for next week. No issues this week probably means next week will be a cluster f&$&@.

And with A380 issues and QANTAS - when it rains, it pours.

Worse things than a day in LA I guess.

Best way to do it I think.

 

[Cloud9]

Worse things than a day in LA I guguess.

Yep. Two days, for example!

 

[Blackadder]

Looks like the A 380 reliability issues are not expected to be resolved soon .
I have bookings on QF1 thru to London and onto European destinations this coming november and next march.
Connecting flights have been changed to next services.
Both conx were at or above the Minimum Connecting Time for Heathrow (QF-BA same terminal)
The November one was LHR-CDG ( MCT 75 minutes , scheduled conxtime 90 minutes) - now pushed back !
The March one to Oslo - scheduled time 75 minutes now pushed back for another 3 hours.
I rang QF and asked what the situation was - as the Qantas booking engine was still showing those as legal connections- answer from a supervisor- " to avoid inconvenience in the event of possible delays" !
I can't complain about QF being proactive about expected delays in the future but
Can't they just fix the A 380 problem.

Not sure that is A380 related.
I am booked on QF 12 LAX-SYD for JUL12 and a timing change. Which presumably is for the Northern Hemisphere Summer Timetable.

 

[RichardMEL]

Not sure that is A380 related.
I am booked on QF 12 LAX-SYD for JUL12 and a timing change. Which presumably is for the Northern Hemisphere Summer Timetable.

Same departure time as tonight - 2345.

So yeah northern summer schedule