Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Thank you all. A fascinating discussion on a 'different' situation to that encountered in Australia.

One quick other point is that USA local (and USA-bound international) airlines all must have 'tarmac delay plans' published. From memory VA has this on its website; not sure if QF does.

 

[Himeno]

Thank you all. A fascinating discussion on a 'different' situation to that encountered in Australia.

One quick other point is that USA local (and USA-bound international) airlines all must have 'tarmac delay plans' published. From memory VA has this on its website; not sure if QF does.

http://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/regions/us/tarmac-delay-contingency-plan.pdf

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 27 July 2016, QF27, the 1230 long haul flight from SYD to SCL departed at 1312 with same day arrival predicted at 1135, 25 minutes behind time.

The 0835 hours QF141 (SYD - AKL) departed 39 minutes late at 0914 but only arrived 16 minutes late at 1356, while the 0955 hours scheduled departure on the same route, QF143, left at 1049 with arrival at 1555 hours being 55 minutes behind schedule - quite a varying point-to-point elapsed time between the two flights.

The 0950 hours QF23 (SYD - BKK) only departed 21 minutes late but the forecast is for a 35 minute tardy arrival at 1715 tonight.

QF117 (1215 hours SYD - HKG) departed two minutes late but should be at the destination gate at 2015, 35 minutes late, a contrast with the earlier QF127 that left SYD six minutes early but arrived HKG 17 minutes ahead of the timetable.

 

[milehighclub]

QF2 had a rejected take off and went back to gate.

Doesn't look like it will depart today but no new estimated departure at the moment.

 

[docjames]

QF2 had a rejected take off and went back to gate.

Doesn't look like it will depart today but no new estimated departure at the moment.

Ouch. Not good. Any word on why?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2 had a rejected take off and went back to gate.

Doesn't look like it will depart today but no new estimated departure at the moment.

milehighclub, provided we are talking about the Tuesday 26 July QF2 ex LHR (today, Wednesday 27 July ex DXB for SYD), it looks to have taken off from LHR last night at 2320, touching down in DXB at 0830 this morning, then taking off at 1058 for what FlightAware suggests is an anticipated Thursday 28 July 0655 hours arrival in SYD.

However this may not have taken account of the 'rejected take off' as Google suggests it will arrive in SYD at 0910 hours tomorrow morning, but the QF website - presumably the most accurate - suggests it will arrive in SYD at 1945 hours on Thursday evening, more than 14 hours late, which would tie in with milehighclub's inside information. This 1945 hours prediction may have been made subsequent to the above post.

So far none of QF1, 7, 11 or 93 (the scheduled QF A388 departures) ex Australia on Thursday 28 July are publicly displaying as 'delayed' but sometimes QF can be slow to update this information on its website. As milehighclub implied, the situation may be 'developing' in which case definitive statements re delay(s) might be premature.

Many months ago AFF member JohnPhelan made a prescient comment about how 'rolling 24 hour delays' would result from QF's retirement/ scrapping of two B744s should there be an aircraft that failed. This has since proven to be true on occasion. While the A388 fleet is different, the increased utilisation that it has had for a while can create huge problems if one of the 12 aircraft becomes defective and needs repairs (as distinct from scheduled 'maintenance').

 

[flying_double]

Melburnian1, I know how much you love the curfew busters... QF566 from PER touched down in SYD at 23:08 tonight. Must be a few years til the next election

 

[milehighclub]

The new departure time was made after I went to bed. Looks like it is departing at 2359 from DXB.

 

[Quickstatus]

Qf2 finally departed from DXB at 0028 28June
SYD Arrival predicted to be 1945hrs

I think this aircraft VH-OQH will become QF1 SYD-DXB making its scheduled 1620hrs departure an impossibility?.

Unless the 11th A380 is not in MNL for maintenance? ...

The other QF1 which landed in DXB just after midnight local time will be delayed in its departure for LHR by about 2 hours


....EDIT OQG is in MNL for maintenance...

 

[Melburnian1]

The new departure time was made after I went to bed. Looks like it is departing at 2359 from DXB.

Quickstatus, I had tried to post the below before you made your contribution, but forgot to press the send button. It amends what you suggest.

According to QF the delayed QF2 departed from DXB at 0015, taking off as Quickstatus suggested at 0028. On Thursday 28 July, it should arrive in SYD at 1950 hours, more than 14 hours tardy.

As a result QF7 from SYD to DFW is expected to depart on Thursday (today) at 2145 hours rather than 1300, for an expected 2200 hours arrival, eight hours and 25 minutes later than what the timetable says should be 1335. Although not yet publicly displaying, QF8 on Thursday 28 July from DFW will be delayed as it is timetabled out at 2215. If all runs to plan, an amended departure time of 2345 will be the go from DFW back to SYD.

 

[jb747]

Ouch. Not good. Any word on why?

Flight radar shows very little speed (about 45 knots). Power wouldn't even have been set. Most warnings inhibit at higher speeds, but the standard brief is to reject the takeoff for any warning. That's prior to the inhibit speeds, and therefore low speed.

 

[docjames]

Flight radar shows very little speed (about 45 knots). Power wouldn't even have been set. Most warnings inhibit at higher speeds, but the standard brief is to reject the takeoff for any warning. That's prior to the inhibit speeds, and therefore low speed.

Good that it's early on the t/o roll and not a high speed RTO.

I guess the cause could be a myriad of things.....

 

[Melburnian1]

The Wednesday 27 July QF1 was four minutes early into DXB on Thursday 28 July, but then did not depart until 0434, two hours and 24 minutes late with arrival in LHR estimated at 0900, 125 minutes (two hours five minutes) behind time. QF9 should (touch wood) be unaffected.

On Thursday 28, QF23 from SYD to BKK, the 0950 hours, is again late with pushback at 1027 for a forecast 40 minute late arrival of 1720 hours Thai time.

QF127 and QF117, the two SYD - HKG flights are both delayed but by varying amounts. The first departed 47 minutes late at 1052 but is suggested as only to be 10 minutes behind with a 1730 hours late afternoon arrival. The second light was 33 minutes late departing at 1213 and is estimated to be still half an hour late in pulling up stumps in the SAR at 1935 hours tonight. HKG airport gets busier from about 1730 hours most late afternoons so that may explain at least some of the disparity in point-to-point estimated punctuality.

A333 VH-QPI on the 1020 MEL - HKG, QF29, was airborne at 1150 hours so arrival is likely at around 1853 hours, 53 minutes late.

While the very long SYD - JNB B744, QF63, was only 22 minutes late in pushing back at 1112, it is forecast to be half an hour behind with a 1740 hours arrival. This may marginally delay QF64's departure, but all being well it should be back in SYD tomorrow afternoon at or extremely close to time.

 

[Melburnian1]

As at 2224 on Thursday 28 July, the badly delayed QF7 (A388 VH-OQH) from SYD to DFW (normally timetabled to depart early afternoon at 1300 hours) had yet to be off blocks in SYD.

Those waiting for the Thursday QF8 ex DFW back to SYD should be aware of a growing delay to their flight.

In these circumstances, given that QF knew about the delay many hours in advance (because the A388 came in very late from DXB on QF2), would both the technical and cabin crews merely be requested to sign on eight or nine hours later than normal, or would QF be likely to roster fresh crews because of any effect on the "originally rostered crew's" roster (minimum hours off duty and so on)? SYD - DFW is an especially long stage.

The SYD curfew countdown has little more than half an hour to go...

UPDATE: The Airbus is suddenly visible on the FR24 screen for SYD, which always is a good sign that departure is imminent. Updates from any AFF members on board (surely there is one) would be great.

 

[Comoman]

As at 2224 on Thursday 28 July, the badly delayed QF7 (A388 VH-OQH) from SYD to LAX (normally timetabled to depart early afternoon at 1300 hours) had yet to be off blocks in SYD.

Isn't QF7 SYD - DFW? Or has QF changed it?

 

[Melburnian1]

Comoman, apologies. I corrected it. Thank you.

QF7 took off from SYD at 2250 for DFW, which is almost ten hours late. The QF website is suggesting a 2310 hours arrival (same day) in DFW which would be nine hours and 35 minutes behind.

QF has yet to update the Thursday 28 July QF8 departure time ex DFW but a guess would be about 0100 on Friday 29 July, perhaps a tiny bit prior if all goes well. This probably means a post-0800 hours arrival time in SYD on Saturday 30 July compared to the schedule of 0605 hours.

 

[Quickstatus]

The SYD curfew countdown has little more than half an hour to go...

UPDATE: The Airbus is suddenly visible on the FR24 screen for SYD, which always is a good sign that departure is imminent. Updates from any AFF members on board (surely there is one) would be great.

Departed just 11 minutes before curfew. Ground time between arrival as QF2D and departure as QF7 was nearly 3 hours. The airline always posts a very optimistic turnaround time (usually under 2 hours) which is rarely ever met

 

[Melburnian1]

QF's website now suggests that the delayed Thursday 28 July QF8 from DFW to SYD will depart at 0110 hours on Friday 29, which for once is less optimistic than my guess a couple of posts above. QF predicts Saturday 30 July SYD arrival at 0845, two hours and 40 minutes late.

On Friday 29 July, QF2104, the 0700 SYD up to CFS was cancelled as was QF2002, the 0845 hours SYD to TMW. The 0720 hours SYD - MRZ, QF2180, instead departed 90 minutes late at 0855 with estimated arrival at 1045 being even worse at 110 minutes behind the schedule.

The 1300 hours QF73 to SFO is expected to depart four hours late at 1700 on Friday 29 July. It is being formed by QF64, the Thursday 28 ex JNB that departed 44 minutes late but which on Friday is only expected to be 10 minutes late into SYD at 1510. An hour and 50 minutes is a realistic turnaround time for a B744 (it has been observed as low as an hour and 35) but this requires a lot of skillful coordination, and as Quickstatus pointed out above, often these turnaround times are not achieved - for numerous reasons, including uncooperative passengers who are 'so important' that they delay boarding until an anxious PA call is made for them.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 30 July, QF12 ex LAX is expected to arrive in SYD 75 minutes late at 0745 hours. QF16 from LAX to BNE should arrive at 0800, 110 minutes late as it did not depart until 0112 on Friday 29 July super early morning. QF94 to MEL is a forecast hour late at 0800 on Saturday 30.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2040, the 0800 hours SYD - DBO Qantaslink flight on Saturday 30 July departed at 0904 with arrival 51 minutes late at 0951.

The longhaul QF11, the 0950 SYD - LAX did not depart until 1119 with same day arrival forecast as 50 minutes behind at 0720 hours.

QF1467 (0900 hours SYD down to CBR) departed 33 minutes late, pulling in at 1018, 23 minutes tardy.

The SYD - AKL QF143 pushed back 47 minutes late at 1042 with arrival likely 40 minutes late at 1540 this afternoon.

QF423, the 1000 hours SYD down to MEL left the gate at 1034 with arrival predicted as 28 minutes late at 1203.