Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

In post 2956 above, QF had QF63 (B744 VH-OJS) as departing at 1215, an hour and 25 minutes late.

Showing how delays can compound with poor weather and numerous other delayed flights, this flight took off at 1357, using the main north-south runway unlike numerous others that have been relegated to runway 07. QF63 had pushed back at 1319 so even that is a long time between pushback and takeoff: one esteemed contributor previously suggested that the allowance for this was of the order of 20 to 25 minutes. QF estimates JNB arrival at 1835 hours, 95 minutes late so QF64 will be late departing tonight South African time.

QF431, the 1200 SYD to MEL took off at 1402 - VH-EBS is the A332.

The 1300 hours SYD to DFW (QF7) departed at 1406 hours with same day arrival suggested as 1440, 65 minutes behind time.

QF41 (1350 SYD - CGK) departed at 1447 with arrival predicted as 35 minutes late at 1910, fairly unusual for this often punctual flight. QF19 that pushed back in SYD at 1339, 89 minutes late is expected to arrive in Philippine capital MNL at 1940, 70 minutes late but this is often optimistic given the congestion at that airport.

QF27 (1230 SYD - SCL) has been updated to depart at a projected 1525 hours, two hours and 55 late, with arrival forecast at 1315, two hours and five minutes tardy.

QF73 which normally departs SYD at 1300 for SFO was to do so at 1500 but this has now been changed to a supposed 1530. Arrival is estimated as 1130, two hours late.

The 1400 hours SYD - MEL, QF439, was airborne at 1535 (A332 VH-EBO) and should be at teh terminal in the southern capital at about 1640, 65 minutes late. The 1405 SYD north to BNE, QF530, took off at 1542 so should arrive at about 1645 with B738 VH-VYA as the conveyance. This would be 70 minutes late.

The midafternoon QF761 (1505 hours SYD - ADL) took off at 1557 with arrival expected at 1732, 47 minutes late. VH-XZC, another B738 is the aircraft.

UPDATE: B744 VH-OEF operating QF73, the 1300 hours SYD - SFO took off significantly later at 1612 hours then previously predicted by QF.

QF27 (B744 VH-OEH) is worse with its 1230 timetabled departure having only turned into reality at about 1612, so it is also running tardier then QF had suggested.

The 1440 hours SYD - CBR, QF1421, is about to take off at 1622 with Q400 VH-QOW. Arrival should be at 1705, 90 minutes late.

Flagship QF1 has been delayed for an anticipated 50 minutes until 1640 hours in its SYD departure for DXB and LHR.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 (A388 VH-OQD) on Sunday 3 June 2016 took off from SYD at 1723 despite earlier QF predicting its departure (pushback, not takeoff) would be 50 minutes late at 1640.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 1700 hours Sunday 3 June QF453 from SYD to MEL was airborne at 1930, more than two hours late. Arrival should be at about 2050, two and a quarter hours behind time.

 

[mannej]

QF1 (A388 VH-OQD) on Sunday 3 June 2016 took off from SYD at 1723 despite earlier QF predicting its departure (pushback, not takeoff) would be 50 minutes late at 1640.

Just curious as to why you use push back time for one part of the post and take off time for the second part of the post?

 

[Melburnian1]

mannej, QF does not publicly predict takeoff time. It saved me looking up multiple sources of information. Upon looking it up now, QF1 pushed back at 1651, with 32 minutes to takeoff being relatively slow as one of our tech crew AFF members previously commented that the latter was typically 20 to 25 minutes.

With the numerous delays and earlier restricted runway operations as most flights used the east-west runway - not Sydney Airport's preferred 'operational mode' - long delays between pushback and takeoff were a feature of this very wet, 3 June 2016 Sunday.

DXB arrival of this flight is predicted as 0105 hours on Monday 6 June, 40 minutes late.

 

[jb747]

mannej, QF does not publicly predict a pushback time.

Actually the airlines always predict pushback time, but never take off time. Departure time is the push time, not the airborne time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sorry jb747, I meany the other thing. I will correct it.

QF2175 from PQQ to SYD (Q300 VH-TQZ) should arrive at roughly 2010, an hour and 40 minutes late. Its departure time was 1715 hours, but it was not in the air until 1915 tonight. This is better than one other SYD - PQQ - SYD flight today that was cancelled.

 

[Edge]

Qf2 sat on the Tarmac in dxb for 3 hrs with no aircon, then pax had to get off the plane again. I think 5+ hr total delay today. Have a colleague on board

 

[Melburnian1]

Edge, many thanks. QF2 on Saturday 4 June pushed back in LHR at 2125 and arrived DXB this morning (5 June) at seven minutes past the hour of seven, or 23 minutes ahead of time.

A slight amendment to your tip is required because QF2 is still 'sitting' at DXB, with the clock nearing 1415 local time. QF claims that it will arrive SYD on Monday 6 June at 0905 which would only be three hours and 55 minutes late, not five hours late as the departure may be if the flight shortly goes off blocks at DXB.

The temperature at present in DXB is 39 degrees, so sitting without aircon for three hours may have been 'interesting.'

Given that it arrived early from LHR, one assumes that the tech and cabin crew for the onward leg to SYD would be at the DXB airport. Will they run out of hours or close to it with a five hour late departure, or in such circumstances would QF organise another crew to come from their DXB hotel to operate the flight to SYD?

One difficulty might be if there was uncertainty about the departure time, and an earlier expectation that the delay would not be overly in excess of the normal layover.

QF2231 (the 1815 hours SYD down to WGA) took off at 1953; with Q400 VH-QOD, the flight should arrive at approximately 2042, 82 minutes late.

 

[Edge]

33 degrees on board apparently and all the catering went off

 

[Melburnian1]

Like its identically timed departure southbound QF452, the 1700 hours northbound QF453 is late this evening (5 June) with takeoff at 1923 meaning arrival at about 2038, two hours and 13 minutes late. Aircraft is A332 VH-EBO.

QF1585, the 1815 hours SYD down to HBA (B717 VH-YQY) took off at 2000 hours so it should be at the gate in the southernmost state at about 2149 hours, 94 minutes late.

The 1930 hours SYD down to MEL, QF467, is faring better with takeoff at about 2032 hours so arrival should be at about 2155, 50 minutes late. VH-VZU is the aircraft, a B738.

QF766, the 1720 hours ADL across to SYD took off at 1850 hours and should arrive at 2057, 77 minutes late using B738 Vh-VZP.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 5 June, QF494 (2100 hours MEL - SYD) is cutting it fine for the 2300 hours curfew in SYD, having taken off from MEL at 2145. Aircraft is B738 VH-VXS which should make it with a few minutes to spare as it is touchdown time, not arrival at the SYD airport terminal gate, that is the critical time.

QF492, the 2030 hours MEL - SYD is behind QF494, with 492 having just taken off at 2155. Aircraft is VH-VYH, another B738.

Southbound QF556 from BNE to SYD, the 2015 hours departure that took off at 2155, is behind these two, with touchdown expected at 2307 hours, past the normal 2300 hours curfew. VH-VZE is the B738 so it must have a dispensation from the (caretaker) Federal Minister's delegate.

Thw 1840 hours SYD to CBR, QF1325, took off at about 2237 using runway 25 to the west, which is far from SYD's preferred modus operandi. It would have been quicker to drive or catch the NSWTrainLink train. B738 VH-XZH was the aircraft.

UPDATE: QF494 from MEL landed in SYD at 2255. QF492 was on its heels, landing from the east at just before the clock ticked over to 2259. QF557 landed at 2301 with JQ724, also strictly breaching curfew yet to arrive but a minute behind behind the three QFs, although the JQ flight landed from the south.

 

[jb747]

It would have been much hotter than 33º if there had been no air con. The packs/APU aren't running, but there is conditioned air provided from the terminal.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF497, the 2205 hours SYD down to MEL on Sunday 5 June had not taken off by 2305. VH-VXB is the B738. (CX138, the 2155 hours to HKG is in the same boat).

The QF website suggests that QF497 pushed back at 2221 but according to the runway view on FR24 and the FlightAware status, it took off at 2311 hours, in breach of curfew but presumably with a Ministerial delegate's dispensation: not sure how it satisfied the criteria, but at least it took off to the south which is one of the stipulations or desires when flights are allowed to breach the SYD curfew. The aim is to minimise the number of residents over whose homes such late running planes fly over.

CX138 was next to take off at 2313 hours followed by QF3, the 2225 hours SYD to HNL (A332 VH-EBG) at 2316. TT761, the 2150 hours SYD - PER (VH-VNB) looked to be the last of four RPT departures to strictly breach the SYD curfew which it did at 2319 hours.

(On Monday 6 June, AFF member eminere advised that another JQ flight tookm off from SYD on Sunday 6 June at 2329 hours).

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 6 June there must be fog in CBR as QF1314 from CBR to SYD has a revised departure time of 0955 hours in lieu of 0800. The 0815 SYD - CBR, QF1513, departed at 0911, arriving 45 minutes late at 1000. QF1473, the 1045 SYD - CBR is not running while nor is QF1477, the 1155 SYd - CBR.

QF407 (0715 SYD - MEL) was cancelled.

The 0810 hours from SYD to WTB (QF2016), which is rather inappropriately and confusingly sometimes referred to as 'Brisbane West Wellcamp' when it is really 'Toowoomba', is delayed until an expected 1025 in its departure.

QF2014, the 0815 hours to DBO ex SYD departed at 0934 with arrival predicted 75 minutes late at 1030.

QF2040, which is the 0820 to ARM ex SYD should instead depart two hours and 20 minutes late at 1040. ARM and TMW had quite some troubles yesterday as did a number of other QantasLink NSW provincial city destinations, not surprising given the extremely inclement conditions, which while not unprecedented were serious enough.

The 0820 hours departure from SYD for ABX, QF2205, should instead depart at 1045 for a 1200 rather than 0935 hours arrival in the border city.

QF2002 from SYD to TMW, the 0820, has been altered to depart at 1040.

QF1474 and QF1422, the respective 1210 and 1350 hours CBR - SYD departures have been cancelled, as was the first of the morning from SYD to CBR, QF1511, the 0620 hours ex SYD.

QF118, the Sunday 5 June 2125 hours from HKG to SYD was airborne at 2237 and on Monday 6 should arrive at about 0937 hours, 47 minutes late with A333 VH-QPC.

What one assumes is a 'ferry' (empty) working of B744 VH-OEJ departed SYD at 0812, 72 minutes later than its scheduled 0700, with MEL arrival predicted as 0941 instead of 0845 hours. It may be for QF29, the 1020 hours MEL to HKG.

The 1000 and 1400 hours departures from SYD down to MEL, QF423 and QF439, have been cancelled as has QF2024, the QantasLink 1025 SYD to ARM.

Longhaul QF63 is expected to depart SYD at 1120 rather than 1050 for this B744's excursion to JNB.

QF520, the 1105 SYD up to BNE will instead depart at a projected 1140.

QF2108, the 1125 from SYD to CFS is another QantasLink flight that has been cancelled while the 1150 from SYD to WGA has suffered the same fate. So has QF2038, the early afternoon 1210 from SYD to DBO in the west.

A possible cause of so many QantasLink delays and cancellations may be that tech crew (and cabin crew) are out of position or have had insufficient mandatory rest hours to be able to depart on time on their next day's (in this case Sunday to Monday) roster. For instance, QF2202, the 0630 hours ABX to SYD did not depart until 0845 hours while the 0630 CFS to SYD, QF2101, departed at 0931 hours.

While surface transport is not always directly comparable with the airlines, if this were the railways, a coach company or a trucking operator and trains, coaches or B-Doubles were required to start from a location such as Albury or Coffs Harbour on a daily or even a less frequent basis, there would usually be train, coach or truck drivers based in such larger provincial cities. The coach and trucking industries sometimes have such drivers 'change over' at what is hopefully a predetermined location to ensure that the said drivers are back home for the night (or for the day, if they are on a night shift). The railways can do this too on occasion.

As one of our esteemed contributors has previously pointed out, the airlines have their reasons for not always basing crew in provincial cities, probably including differing fatigue regulations compared to surface transport, cost, a perceived lack of flexibility and worries about crew being stranded or unable to easily and in a timely manner 'get home' but it is in contrast to what seems at first glance the more logical practices of surface transport operators.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 6 June 2016, QF127, the 1005 SYD to HKG, departed at 1111 - a 'time to remember.' Arrival should only be half an hour late at a predicted 1750.

The empty working of VH-OEJ was for the 1150 MEL to LAX QF95, which is not a daily flight. It departed 25 minutes late at 1215 but despite a prompt takeoff at about 1223 is shown as expected 40 minutes late into LAX at 0940 hours same day. As mentioned by Flyerqf or others, apparently sometimes once in LAX the B744 off QF95 returns to SYD not MEL which is a good way of maximising the efficiency of maintenance.

Just how these 'additional' (although trimmed down in frequency) QF flights to and from LAX are booking would be interesting with the $A low against the $US, Sydney probably a more iconic initial destination than Melbourne for first time tourists from the USA to Oz and greater airline competition across the Pacific (while not are all nonstop from MEL and some stop elsewhere than within Australia, DL, HA, NZ, UA, VA, QF 46.3 per cent owned FJ and QF partner AA are a few of the 'more direct' airlines to consider using, while others such as CA, CX, JL, KE, NH, OZ, PR and SQ to name a few are 'outliers' for those with more time and who may enjoy a northeast or southeast Asian stopover - and that's a partial list that does not include any mainland Chinese carrier, or AC via YVR).

Nonetheless, it is very good that QF is offering a choice of departures between MEL and LAX on some days of the week although as with all modes of transport, wider spacing of departures would be even better, as Awesom Andy noted with the SYD - HKG choice of two QF flights that often depart close to one another.

 

[jb747]

A possible cause of so many QantasLink delays and cancellations may be that tech crew (and cabin crew) are out of position or have had insufficient mandatory rest hours to be able to depart on time on their next day's (in this case Sunday to Monday) roster. For instance, QF2202, the 0630 hours ABX to SYD did not depart until 0845 hours while the 0630 CFS to SYD, QF2101, departed at 0931 hours.

Do you know what Occam's Razor is? It's very much applicable to the assumptions you make, and the theories you build off them.

Whilst I don't know about Wagga and Dubbo specifically, they are both prone to fog, and neither has precision navigation aids. Albury is in the same boat, and I do know that it had fog this morning. As for Coffs...was not there a huge storm there yesterday.

In any event weather is much more likely to be relevant than any basing or crew rest issues.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Sunday 5 June 2016 QF12 departed from LAX 71 minutes late at 2341. Tuesday 7 June arrival is forecast as 0655, just 25 minutes late and if achieved a net gain of 46 minutes on the gate-to-gate times.

The B744-operated QF16 was less punctual, departing from LAX at 0048 on Monday instead of 2320 on Sunday, with Tuesday arrival predicted 80 minutes late at 0730. This is a net gain of only eight minutes if it is achieved.

Both resulted from the B744-operated 'tag flight' of QF12 arriving in LAX 54 minutes late at 2159 hours ex JFK.

QF1522, the 1910 hours CBR - SYD took off at 2029 on Monday 6 and is arriving at about 2107, 62 minutes late with B717 VH-YQV. Today has been marked by unpunctuality and a number of cancellations on this shortest of all capital city to capital city routes.

QF19 arrived in MNL 23 minutes early at 1807, but the return QF20 from MNL has been delayed from 2005 to an expected 2120 hours in its SYD-bound departure.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 7 June, QF446, the 1600 hours MEL - SYD was airborne at 1640 and should arrive about 33 minutes late at 1758. Aircraft is VH-VYE, a B738.

QF651, the 1115 BNE across to PER took off at 1149 - only about 15 minutes late - but will not arrive until about 1526, 31 minutes late. The plane is VH-VXE, a 'close relation' to VH-VYE opearting in the 'golden triangle' this afternoon as above.

 

[Melburnian1]

According to FlightAware, QF2086 on Tuesday 7 June 2016 took off from MEL at 1959 and touched down at MQL at 2048 hours.

However FR24 is showing this flight at 2245 hours en route from MEL, at least visually, even though it claims on the accompanying information presented to the left of the map that takeoff was at 2001 and touchdown was at 2048 hours.

I have refreshed my browser; concurrently FR24 is showing flights such as EY461 that took off at 2229 hours, 18 minutes ago as I write.

AFF member Boris spatsky (great name given that flights can be like a game of chess as they progress towards an airfield) kindly explained in some detail a few weeks ago (on another thread) why sites such as FR24 have some deficiencies in the information they present to users.

However this is the first time I have noticed a flight that shows more or less verifiable actual times on the sidebar but then inexplicably shows the aircraft visually en route a couple of hours later. For the record, the aircraft was VH-LQQ, a Q400 that I assume is now tucked up in 'bed' on the MQL tarmac.