Qantas Delays/Cancellations

Re QF8: I'm suspecting that the diversion was cancelled due to more favourable flying conditions and was not updated prior to landing.

QF63: 2nd (for the mission)takeoff roll commenced at 1731hrs on the main runway 34L

FR24 has posted the return QF64 to depart at its usual time of 1930 hrs. This is impossible as OJM will still be off the African Coast at that time.

With optimism, VH-OJM will be able to assume its new avatar hopefully just before midnight SAST and arrive back into SYD after sundown just in time for Monday's episode of Masterchef with the delicious Nigella on Channel 10 (syd) at 1930 hrs

Additionally it appears that B744s with an avatar of QF64 tend to overnight in SYD before its next mission so any "domino effects" from the initial diversion should terminate in SYD tomorrow evening


Cause of QF63 diversion:
Unknown at this stage. It departed essentially on time but racetracked 1.5 times over traralgon at FL300 and 500kts before returning to SYD. A dire medical reason may have seen it drop into MEL for a "splash and dash" even if overweight. So maybe a technical issue and the company probably thought the issue would be best fixed in SYD as it would be the main 744 base these days. MEL services QF95/96 and QF29/30 with the 96 (often)becoming 20 and the 30 forming the 95.
 
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Referring to the second last posting above, QF1 on 22 May departed SYD at 1723 with DXB arrival expected 75 minutes late at 0140 hours on Monday 23 May.

QF has yet to update its website to reflect QF64's late arrival in SYD tomorrow (Monday) evening (23 May), but FlightAware suggests touchdown of QF63 on Sunday 22 May at 2158 South African time (meaning arrival at the terminal at around 2210 hours, five hours late).
 
Let's see, Quickstatus, how close the Google prediction is to what occurs given it has stuck its neck out more than 24 hours in advance. For me, there are two many uncertainties. Holding patterns' presence or absence, variable taxiing times, passengers with checked bags who fail to show at the last minute and therefore result in bags having to be offloaded (amazingly, allegedly not all airlines do this - one would wonder why in today's security environment - but QF does), a faster or slower than expected turnaround, a change in the wind direction or speed from what the forecasts suggested or a previously undiscovered mechanical or other aircraft problem are a few that quickly spring to mind.

While I do not know the cause of today's delay to QF63, surely the crew for QF64 would only be human if they gave the aircraft an especially close examination in JNB (not that I'm suggesting they aren't normally thorough) should the QF63 delay have been because of a difficulty with the aircraft, as distinct from with passengers.
 
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I suppose that's why FR24/FA/QF have not yet posted a return time for QF64.
I'm not sure that the tech crew would do any more than their thorough check even if there may have been a recent tech issue.
For a quality airline such as this one most would think (hope) that their MEL would be in excess of that for perhaps other airlines especially travelling over such an uninhabited part of the earth as the southern oceans.
 
Looks like another planned splash and dash for the 8

Gotta feel sorry for the souls on board whose first impression of AUS will be BNE :p
 
Thanks Ari Gold!!

Firms my suspicion that these flights are being range limited due to stronger than normal headwinds. Let's see if the conditions during cruise are amenable for a nonstop mission.

The other flight that flies close to empty is QF94 but it has not been affected to the extent of a divert yet
 
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QF63 had a mechanical issue. The aircraft operating 64 that arrives info SYD on a Mon usually overnights, so should be no further delays caused :)
 
A remarkable turnaround by VH-OJM and despatchers of 1.5 hours for the QF63/64. Departed just on the cuckoo and may yet make it back in time for Nigella Masterchef at 1930 to gate..


QF8: nonstop to SYD instead of the 2nd planned ( in as many flights) divert to BNE. The actual route taken was south west over the Baja peninsula just north of SJD instead of the previous QF8 which flew over Hilo...Different Aussie waypoint as well - BREAM instead of MULET.
 
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Quickstatus said:
A remarkable turnaround by VH-OJM QF94 and despatchers of 1.5 hours. Departed just on the cuckoo and may yet make it back in time for Nigella Masterchef at 1930 to gate.
Click to expand...

Quickstatus, you may mean 'QF64', the Sunday 22 May 2016 JNB - SYD. Easy to type a '9' instead of a '6!'

On Monday 23 May, QF429 (1130 hours SYD - MEL) departed at 1211 but the generous 95 minute gate-to-gate schedule means that arrival is estimated only 20 minutes late at 1325 hours.

The 1020 MEL - HKG, QF29, departed 41 minutes late at 1101 with HKG arrival suggested as 1850 hours tonight HKG time, 50 minutes tardy.

QF2260, the 1150 SYD - LDH is forecast to push back 45 minutes late with the predicted 1500 hours mid afternoon arrival not resulting in any gain or loss on the timetable.

UPDATE: QF449 (A332 VH-EBR), the 1630 SYD to MEL, did not take off until 1723 hours and hence should arrive at about 1837, 32 minutes late. QF455 (1730 SYD - MEL) was cancelled.

The mid afternoon QF1515 from SYD to CBR departed 73 minutes late at 1633, arriving at 1729, 69 minutes late. While it is rare for passengers on such a short route to know much in advance whether a flight is to be significantly delayed, this is an example of how on occasion (depending on one's origin and destination in each city) it can be quicker, or almost as quick, to travel by the not very fast thrice daily train, or drive. However many passengers are travelling on government or private sector accounts, or connecting to or from other flights: point-to-point travel is far from the only reason that seats are sold on this short hop.

QF1485 on the same route and direction departed from SYD 36 minutes late at 1636, arriving in the national capital at 1736, 41 minutes late.

The 1655 hours SYD to PER, QF569, departed at 1734 but is not expected to improve on that deficit with arrival predicted at 2035, 40 minutes tardy.

QF2116 from SYD to CFS, the 1540 hours flight took off at 1738 and arrived at the NSW 'banana capital' at 1827 hours, 97 minutes late. Aircraft is Q400 VH-QOY. Although often unnoticed by 'mainline' travellers, the QantasLink flights out of and into SYD have had many delays, and more than a few cancellations, since the start of 2016. Whether this is symptomatic of lower mining and resources activity (with a spillover effect into country towns and smaller provincial cities) or just QF experiencing problems with its fleet would be interesting to know.
 
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QF2 was delayed 6 hours today due to technical issues. Then after the issue was rectified, the aircraft did taxi out for take off before another technical issue presenting and resulting in cancellation. The aircraft is VH-OQB.
Photos on Twitter show the hell the passengers are going through the massive queues to be booked into accomodation.
 
Quickstatus said:
Thanks Flyerqf. Hope OQB recovers quick. The domino effect will be substantial.
Click to expand...
OQB is just back from MNL maintenance too.

At this stage no delays showing for tomorrow. There is usually an A380 out of service on Tuesday's, with the 744 operating QF11 to LAX.
 
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Flyerqf, in the past when faced with a sudden cancellation of QF1/2/9 or 10, QF has tended to cancel a return sector (DXB - LHR - DXB) of another scheduled A388 flight to try to reduce the 'rolling delays' and get the schedules more quickly back closer to normality. I had a quick squiz but could not see anything indicating that this is to occur. Is there any word for how long the A388 ex Sunday 22 May's LHR - DXB QF2 may be sitting in DXB?
 

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