Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

In further on Friday 11 November, QF479 (1845 hours from SYD to MEL, B738 VH-VZB) took off at 1935, with arrival being expected at 2115 hours, 55 minutes late. At 2040 hours, the plane was 'holding' above Mt Buller (Vic), a favoured position for this to occur so it appears from frequent observations.

QF465, the following 1900 hours departure was airborne at 1952 and is predicted to arrive at about 2115 hours, 40 minutes tardy, but it has not yet started to 'hold' if in fact it will. VH-VZT is the B738.

QF493 is the next but one. It is the 1915 hours from SYD to MEL (B738 VH-VYI) and is forecast to be at the MEL terminal at 2123 hours, 33 minutes behind the schedule.

There must have been something going on in SYD tonight, or else it is just 'November low bookings' because as noted above, several flights have not run, and yet as far as one can see they were timetabled as recently as yesterday.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 12 November sees QF98, the overnight from HKG to BNE (A333 VH-QPE) likely to arrive 38 minutes late at 0833 hours.

VH-QPC on QF130, the 2005 hours Friday 11 PVG - SYD that was airborne at 2204 should arrive SYD on Saturday 12 at 1105, 80 minutes behind time. This looks to be forming QF19, the 1225 from SYD to MNL, so while tight, the latter could depart on time if all goes well.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on 12 November, B738 VH-XZE on QF171 (1015 hours MEL - windy WLG) took off at 1106, so arrival has been delayed until a predicted 1634, 49 minutes behind time.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I always thought that in the case of QFd they would tug any available planes to a flight thats been cancelled so that that flight could still be replaced. Ie still fly.
Never realised that QFd would just cancel a flight and not tug in another plane.

 

[Melburnian1]

I always thought that in the case of QFd they would tug any available planes to a flight thats been cancelled so that that flight could still be replaced. Ie still fly.
Never realised that QFd would just cancel a flight and not tug in another plane.

Like all airlines, AustraliaPoochie, QF might very well like to be able to do that.

However, when almost all serviceable planes are in use - to make a generalisation for Australian domestic operations, most likely on Monday mornings, Friday noon to stumps and Sunday afternoons/ evenings, and during school holidays, Christmas and other public holidays - typically there will not be a plane available unless another flight on the same or another route is suddenly cancelled. And then it's not just one flight that becomes a no show - typically it is at the very least a return flight.

On top of that even at slacker times such as Saturday afternoon when QFd and its competitors may not have all the serviceable fleet in use, if a plane fails suddenly in say ASP, there is no guarantee that there will be a suitable QF plane (or indeed any QFd plane) to 'replace' the failed aircraft. And then there's how (if fully booked, or even 80 per cent full) a B717 cannot generally replace a B738, and then how flight and cabin crews may be qualified on one model of aircraft but not on another, and there are no spare crews in the location that the first plane failed...the list goes on and on....

Remember that like rail and bus surface modes, airlines schedule maintenance so fleet availability is rarely 100 per cent for any type of plane in an airline's fleet - and as you discuss, there are unscheduled failures to boot that while relatively rare as a percentage of sectors flown can and do occur. There must be tens of reasons why at the very least, if not in the hundreds if one was technically minded or qualified to fly and considered all the not quickly repairable items that could go wrong and were sufficiently serious to cancel a flight.

I doubt that any airline pilots or accompanying staff want a flight ever to be cancelled, but with safety paramount, unfortunately it must sometimes occur, even if passengers' plans are disrupted (and as a side issue, airline staff may on occasion be late home for that all important family birthday or other special event). Annoying, but there are sufficient occasional safety-related breaches or incidents without wilfully adding to them. Overall, our RPT (regular public transport) aviation sector in Australia has a very good (though not perfect) safety record.

 

[OATEK]

VH-QPC on QF128, the 2005 hours Friday 11 PVG - SYD that was airborne at 2204 should arrive SYD on Saturday 12 at 1105, 80 minutes behind time. This looks to be forming QF19, the 1225 from SYD to MNL, so while tight, the latter could depart on time if all goes well.

Was this QF130 PVG-SYD, as QF128 HKG-SYD normally 747?

 

[Melburnian1]

Was this QF130 PVG-SYD, as QF128 HKG-SYD normally 747?

My apologies OATEK, indeed, it was QF130. I will amend. Thank you!

 

[ChrisGibbs]

I always thought that in the case of QFd they would tug any available planes to a flight thats been cancelled so that that flight could still be replaced. Ie still fly.
Never realised that QFd would just cancel a flight and not tug in another plane.

Happy for someone to correct me but can't imagine Qantas or many other airlines operating at scale would have spare 737's (each valued at approx. $US90m) "sitting around" waiting for an another aircraft to go U/S. From memory they have 75 737's (could be wrong) across the Qantas Group including JetConnect. At any point in time you would have a number of aircraft undergoing some type of check (from memory a QF 737 may do an A check every 400hrs). Also some aircraft may be undertaking a charter (non-RPT) service. For example today (Sat 12/11) there is the QF Pathfinders Charity flight SYD-HBA-SYD. Also QF mainline 737's replaced JetConnect 737's on the MEL-WLG-MEL return and possibly on one of the SYD-AKL-SYD returns. Also in some cases where an aircraft goes U/S on some of the FIFO operations in WA it can take some time to fly a replacement aircraft in from somewhere in the network with the available capacity to be the replacement.

 

[Melburnian1]

To add to Saturday 12 November 2016, although the delayed QF130 from PVG arrived a bit earlier than predicted at 1054, QF19 from SYD to MNL did not push back until 1217, 52 minutes late. MNL arrival is predicted as 1820 hours instead of 1735. Aircraft is A333 VH-QPC. This will mean late away for QF20 ex MNL this evening.

QF81, the 1115 hours SYD - SIN has A333 VH-QPA, class leader: it took off at 1208 with arrival suggested as 53 minutes late at 1723.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Looks like qf16 is around 50mins lste leaving lax. Just got a lounge announcement. Assume it is late arriving from jfkedit. Not sure if boarding at 2345 or departing at 2345hrs. Either way, its delayed a bit.

 

[Melburnian1]

Looks like qf16 is around 50mins lste leaving lax. Just got a lounge announcement. Assume it is late arriving from jfkedit. Not sure if boarding at 2345 or departing at 2345hrs. Either way, its delayed a bit.

FlyboyAl, the Friday 11 November arriving QF12 (B744) that forms QF16 to BNE is only showing as 21 minutes late into LAX at 2116, ex JFK. However as you probably know better than me, transfer times from the ex-JFK flight to the QF east coast flights vary each night. Luggage as well as passengers, and I assume freight, has to be transferred.

 

[FlyboyAl]

We are boarding now. Interesting watching the cargo loaders. A sloth would move faster!!!

 

[Melburnian1]

Updating FlyboyAl's on the spot reporting, the Friday 11 November QF12 from LAX to SYD departed 34 minutes late at 2304 hours with Sunday 13 arrival estimated at 0905, 35 late.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Happy for someone to correct me but can't imagine Qantas or many other airlines operating at scale would have spare 737's (each valued at approx. $US90m) "sitting around" waiting for an another aircraft to go U/S.

The program on BA last year (3 episode series I think?) mentioned that they have spare aircraft(s) at LHR to accommodate others that break down or are delayed. I guess there must be several drivers for that... you have to operate a reliable schedule or you'd lose business to your competitors, and the EU compensation regime. If the aircraft has been paid for it's no longer a $90m plane 'sitting around', it's valuable insurance.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 13 November, QF12 from LAX to SYD should arrive at about 0909, 39 minutes late. Aircraft is A388 VH-OQI.

 

[FlyboyAl]

Qf16 Took off about 0100 and just hit the deck in bne at 0815 local. Sounds like a few missed international connections. Crew have been great. Cant say the same about some pss.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 13 November, QF81, the 1115 hours SYD - SIN departed 21 minutes late at 1136 but is forecast to arrive 40 down at 1710 SIN time this afternoon.

The 1430 hours SYD - MEL, QF441, did not take off until 1521; arrival of B738 Vh-VZY should be at 1639 this afternoon, 34 minutes tardy.

UPDATE: QF19 (1725 hours from SYD up to MNL, A333 VH-QPG) departed at 1808. SYD may be on one runway only (the east west 07/25) operations at present, which will cause delays should it continue, as one esteemed contributor suggested that productivity under this scenario is less than 50 per cent that achievable when the two north-south runways are operating. Thankfully the early evening is not normally a busy time for international departures so that assists in reducing the 'traffic mix' of different aircraft types, and domestic v international departures, a little.

QF571 (1745 hours SYD - PER, B738 VH-XZK) was still taxiing at 1827.

The 1630 MEL - SYD, QF450 took off at 1706, arriving at about 1831, 36 minutes tardy with aircraft B738 VH-VZM.

QF448 is one of numerous aircraft forced to 'hold' above Yass and south of Crookwell, and as the 1645 hours MEL - SYD that did not take off until 1749 (B738 VH-VZY) should arrive in the mainland harbour city at about 1932 instead of 1810, 82 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Adding to the Sunday early evening delays due to SYD only using its east-west runway 07/25, QF539, the 1405 hours early afternoon from BNE down to SYD (B738 VH-VZC) did not take off until 1606, meaning an arrival at about 1841, 91 minutes tardy.

QF2007 (Q300 VH-SBT, the 1700 hours TMW - SYD that took off at 1742) is arriving about 39 minutes late at 1854. QF2031 from ARM is not far behind with arrival of stablemate VH-SBG suggested as 1900 hours, half an hour behind.

The 1605 hours from ADL across to SYD (QF764) took off at 1637; arrival is forecast for about 1911 hours, 41 minutes late. QF452, the 1700 hours MEL - SYD is hot on 764's heels; 452 should arrive at approximately 1915hours, 50 minutes late with VH-XZP the B738.

Demonstrating that late flights are not restricted to the Sydney Basin today (13 November), QF1551, the 1540 hours from BNE down to CBR (B717 VH-YQS) took off at 1657, so it should pull in to the Canberra terminal gate at about 1928, 58 minutes behind time.

QF454 (B738 VH-XZL) is the 1730 hours peak period flight from MEL up to SYD; it took off at 1810 hours and should arrive at approximately 1954 hours, 59 minutes later than the timetable states.

Southbound QF541 (VH-VYI, another B738) is the 1505 hours BNE - SYD that took off at a much delayed 1652 hours this afternoon; arrival should be at 1937, 117 minutes tardy.

 

[moa999]

Big storms in BNE with reports of aircraft damaged

 

[Want2flymore]

QF631 has just returned to the gate after being hit by a runaway set of stairs. It was a little bit scary seeing a set of stairs coming along the tarmac at a rate of knots and hit into the side of the plane just below my window (seat 3A). Luckily we were stationary at the time (well apart from being rocked from side to side with the strong winds - pilot said the winds were up to 150kmh).