Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Also on Friday 21 October, QF465 (1900 hours SYD - MEL) took off at 2031 and is arriving with A332 VH-EBP at about 2155, 80 minutes late.

Northbound QF466 on the same route (other direction) is about 49 minutes late so this timetabled 1945 hours departure that was airborne at 2046 should arrive at 2159 instead of 2110. VH-VYC is the B738.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 22 October 2016, QF2205, the 0820 hours from SYD down to ABX is delayed with its suggested departure being 1005 for an 1135 in lieu of 0950 hours arrival.

Medium haul to yesterday's typhoon-affected HKG ex SYD, QF83 should push back at 1225 instead of 1115. The other three QF departures ex Australia today for HKG are all showing as punctual. The CX flights ex HKG coming in this morning mostly appear to be on time so operations must be resuming normality in HKG.

There do not appear to be any extra QF flights between Australia and HKG today despite the backlog of passengers in each direction. Presumably QF does not have spare equipment, flight or cabin crews. This cannot be helped although if crews were available one alternative might be to try to purloin a suitable A332 from domestic operations and dispatch it to HKG, but then one might run into the problem of lacking immediately available crews at the HKG end. The flights each way with time to sign on, sign off and wait in HKG may be too lengthy for crews to work Oz east coast-HKG-Oz east coast in a single shift even if crews and an aircraft could be found.

Presumably passengers will be rebooked into empty seats on scheduled QF (and perhaps other airlines') flights.

Advice from anyone who was offered (or accepted) alternative routing such as HKG - MNL - SYD (the latter on QF20) would be interesting.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

this day's QF93 MEL-LAX is just returning to the gate because of APU problems.

 

[Melburnian1]

this day's QF93 MEL-LAX is just returning to the gate because of APU problems.

MEL_Traveller, thank you for living up to your username. Nothing beats an on-the-spot report. QF has now put back estimated departure time of QF93 from 1015 to 1140 on Saturday 22 October. Let's see if the forecast proves accurate.

UPDATE: QF93 took off at 1158 so the QF prediction was very accurate.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF29, the 1120 AEDT MEL - HKG is delayed in its pushback until an estimated 1300 hours. Arrival should be at 1930 tonight rather than 1800.

Further north, QF97, the 1050 AEST BNE - HKG is delayed until 1200 which if both are true means that the MEL and BNE departures should be airborne at very similar times given the hour summer time difference.

The projected delay to QF83 (1115 hours SYD - HKG), A333 VH-QPH has increased from 1225 to 1240.

Are these delays due to ATC in HKG giving particular 'mandatory' arrival times to the many aircraft proceeding to that airfield today, given that yesterday (Friday 21) more than 700 flights were cancelled due to Typhoon Haima?

UPDATE: QF83 has pushed back in SYD at 1303.

QF29 departed MEL at 1325, 125 minutes late with HKG arrival forecast as 1930, 90 late.

QF97 is further delayed with BNE pushback estimated at 1500 mid afternoon for an arrival in HKG of 2145 rather than 1800 hours.

Inevitably some QE flights from HKG back to Australia's east coast will be delayed this evening.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 23 October is looming as the second consecutive day for which there will be at least a slight delay for QF93, the 1015 hours MEL - LAX A388, as on Friday 21, QF94 pushed back in LAX 15 minutes late but on Sunday 23 is arriving a predicted 35 late at 0835. It is possible for an hour 40 minute turnaround to be achieved but this requires everything to be 'spot on', including recalcitrant passengers who, as AFF member JohnPhelan once informed us prefer it seems to stay 'at the bar!!!'

The Friday 21 QF16 B744 left LAX at 2340, 20 minutes behind schedule and is due on Sunday 23 in BNE at a suggested 0645 hours, 35 minutes tardy.

 

[Quickstatus]

Melburnian1,

Do you know what caused the splash and dash yesterday at SYD for QF96 (LAX-MEL). (Oct 19-Oct 21)
I didnt think it was the usual fog at MEL (or I could be wrong)

LAX-MEL flights are of interest to me because I live in hope that whenever I'm on one, it does a S&D in SYD because I can get off at and go home while luggage gets delivered to me after it meanders across the countryside.

 

[Melburnian1]

The one thing I thought of, Quickstatus, was refuelling. The Qantas Source website mentions 'for fuel.' It was a brief stop that usually points to either this or a medical diversion. Fog tends to be a longer stop at that time of the morning because on the odd occasion that it occurs at MEL, it tends to lift from say 1000 or 1030 after settling in at roughly 0700 (as 'back of the envelope' times).

It is pretty rare for a QF96 intermediate fuel stop to occur if I recall but one of our esteemed contributors may be gracious enough to fill us in as to whether the likelihood (bearing in mind that this flight QF96 will soon be discontinued as the B744 is to be used elsewhere as you pointed out) is more for westbound flights in one or two seasons of the year for flights from LAX to MEL.

One other airline that sometimes has had to do this in the past if the winds were unfavourable was PR, with GUM being its refuelling stop for a LAX - MNL westbound.

It would be interesting to know if an A388 on QF94 has ever had to refuel en route to MEL.

VA does not operate LAX to MEL nonstops (shame, it moved that flight to BNE) but I don't know if refuelling was required for its westbounds on occasion.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes the "splash and dash" euphemistically is a quick refuel.

Usually due to Fog in MEL causing longer than planned wait in the air times and the decision is taken quite early. However I was sure there was no fog in MEL. Maybe it was some other weather issue or some issue causing longer than usual hovering times
It has happened to QF94 as well. And one time to UA one time causing the aircraft to be stranded in CBR.

Not as uncommon as "rare" I think but I dont have actual data.
Happened to me twice on QF94 A380. Hoping for "third time lucky"

Usually when a S&D occurs the aircraft sits at a remote refuelling area - so needs to wait for fuel truck. If captain think there is time a stairs bus can be called to offload passengers whose final destination is SYD. Their luggage remains in hold and does a SYD-MEL-SYD according to their tags. The luggage then gets picked up at SYD by the airline ground agent and goes though quarantine/customs and gets delivered to SYD address. Great service for me to have luggage delivered this way.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to late departures on Saturday 22 October ex Australia, QF98 from HKG to BNE tonight is expected to depart at 2315 instead of 2000 hours; QF128 to SYD should be 40 minutes late, pushing back at 2055 while QF180, the closely timetabled 2020 hours flight should instead begin its trip at 2055. QF30 to MEL is forecast to depart on time at 2030 tonight.

 

[Flyerqf]

There were high winds at MEL yesterday morning, not sure if they were anticipating longer than usual holding times for QF96.

 

[Quickstatus]

There were high winds at MEL yesterday morning, not sure if they were anticipating longer than usual holding times for QF96.

Possibly longer holding times and also increased chance of rejected landing and a go around.
Im sure all of us have experienced "Range Anxiety in a car". Better not to have that in the air

Though against that QF94 did not have range anxiety and landed as usual

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 23 October 20126, QF2254 and QF2264, the 0700 and 0810 hours SYD - LDH have been cancelled.

QF128 (B744 VH-OEJ), the overnight from HKG to SYD should arrive at roughly 0848, 33 minutes tardy.

 

[jb747]

Do you know what caused the splash and dash yesterday at SYD for QF96 (LAX-MEL). (Oct 19-Oct 21)
I didnt think it was the usual fog at MEL (or I could be wrong)

It doesn't matter what the cause...

If Fixed Fuel Reserve + Approach Fuel + 110 % of fuel from current position to start of approach + ATC/weather holding fuel > Fuel remaining....then you must divert.

The 'start of approach' is to any suitable airfield, so for most of a long haul journey it isn't destination but somewhere along the way. The 10% variable is therefore not equal to 10% of the journey fuel, but is 10% of the go somewhere fuel. The destination only comes into the equation towards the end of the flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

In addition to the SYD - LDH (and return) cancellations noted above for Sunday 23 October, QF7941, the 0750 AEST from BNE to LDH has also been cancelled.

The redeye from PVG into SYD on 23 October, QF130 (A333 VH-QPF) should arrive at 1139 instead of 0930. Was there fog or some other challenging weather in PVG last night (CA and MU flights are also late), or was it simply congestion in the air and on the ground?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF129, the Sunday 23 October 0840 hours SYD to PVG appears to have made a most unusual diversion to WTB, the increasingly successful (though off a low base) Toowoomba privately funded and built airport. The flight departed at 0846, arriving at WTB at 0921 with an estimated 1030 departure from WTB, but it is now almost 1100.

Was this a medical diversion, or a chartered flight (despite the normal flight number) that is picking up a group at WTB?

Is this the first time an A332 or A333 has been to WTB? One hesitates to make such a call...

 

[jb747]

I have no idea of the reasons, but this was the planned destination ex Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

I have no idea of the reasons, but this was the planned destination ex Sydney.

That explains why QF129 on 23 October was retimed to depart from SYD at 0840 instead of the usual (at this time of year) 1035 hours.

QF23, the 1050 hours from SYD to BKK departed at 1114 but is expected to be half an hour late arriving this afternoon Thai time at 1710.

Later this afternoon, QF5, the 1635 hours from SYD to SIN has been delayed to a projected 1830 hours pushback. Arrival is predicted as 2335 instead of 2200 hours, meaning that QF6 tonight ex SIN will be delayed.

UPDATE: QF129 departed WTB at 1101, with forecast arrival in PVG as 1855, 25 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you all:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....llations/thank-you-200000-qf-views-78972.html

 

[moa999]

QF129, the Sunday 23 October 0840 hours SYD to PVG appears to have made a most unusual diversion to WTB, the increasingly successful (though off a low base) Toowoomba privately funded and built airport. The flight departed at 0846, arriving at WTB at 0921 with an estimated 1030 departure from WTB, but it is now almost 1100.

Was this a medical diversion, or a chartered flight (despite the normal flight number) that is picking up a group at WTB?
.

From YSSY:

Qantas Wellcamp to Shanghai Charter

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QF A330 QPA is operating a flight today for a trade mission out of wellcamp. Decals have been applied to the aircraft celebrating its mission.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CvWlEqhUsAECZH0?format=jpg&name=large