Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Also on Thursday 24 November 2016, the 0710 hours early morning from PER across to SYD - QF576 (B738 VH-XZN, not the more comfortable A332) took off at 0809. Arrival is predicted as 46 minutes late at 1506.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Thursday 24 November, QF471 (1545 hours from SYD to MEL took off at 1640 with B738 VH-VZB. Arrival should be at 1807 hours, 47 minutes delayed.

The 1530 hours mid afternoon SYD - MEL, Qf445, took off at 1623 and should arrive 34 minutes behind at 1639. Aircraft is VH-VZR, another B738.

Northbound, QF446 (1600 hours MEL - SYD) was airborne at 1657 hours with A332 VH-EBQ. Arrival is suggested as 1756, 31 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In the evening of 24 November, QF634, the 1915 hours from MEL up to BNE that took off at 2019 (B738 VH-VXK) should arrive at 2108 instead of 2025 tonight, 43 minutes tardy.

QF464 (1930 hours MEL - SYD, B738 VH-XZH) was airborne at 2040 hours. It is predicted to terminate at 2153, 58 minutes behind schedule.

Southbound, QF464, the 1900 ex SYD was in the sky at 1955; B748 VH-VXP should arrive at 2127, 62 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

At 2240 on Thursday 24 November, arrivals were coming in from the west over Sydenham into SYD with QF482, the 2045 hours ex MEL that was airborne at 2136 no exception. Arrival should be 36 late at 2246 with B738 VH-VXC the conveyance.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 24 November's QF24, the 1800 hours BKK - SYD, did not take off until a very late 2055 hours. On Friday 25, A333 VH-QPD should arrive at around 0926, 121 late. It then looks to be forming QF129, the 1055 hours SYD - PVG so while reasonably tight, if everything goes well that should be punctual as the minimum observed turnaround for an A333 appears to be in the order of 70 minutes.

UPDATE: QF129 has been delayed until a predicted 1300 hours departure, 125 minutes tardy.

QF35, the 1220 MEL - SIN is most unusually predicted to depart at the same time but its destination is SYD. It looks to be then heading for SIN at 1715 hours for a forecast 2230 hours arrival in the Lion City. QF5, the normally scheduled 1715 hours SYD - SIN has been cancelled, suggesting either that one A333 or a suitable A332 has failed, that passenger loadings are so light that the flights are combining or there are problems with staff availability.

Similarly QF29, the 1115 hours MEL - HKG has been cancelled and replaced by a flight bearing the same number to SYD, where arrival is suggested as 1240 hours and departure at 1340 with a resultant 1740 hours arrival in HKG, although the latter time must be a mistake as that is only a gate-to-gate time of seven hours from SYD to HKG.

Perhaps my suggestions as to the reason above are all incorrect and there is something else occurring? Very, very odd to have two QFi Asian flights ex MEL both altering to operate via SYD.

 

[Ansett]

Perhaps my suggestions as to the reason above are all incorrect and there is something else occurring? Very, very odd to have two QFi Asian flights ex MEL both altering to operate via SYD.

Some extra F lounge time for those from Melbourne can be enjoyed in Sydney

 

[pjm99au]

Perhaps this?

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/showpost.php?p=1548649

 

[jpk]

QF35, the 1220 MEL - SIN is most unusually predicted to depart at the same time but its destination is SYD. It looks to be then heading for SIN at 1715 hours for a forecast 2230 hours arrival in the Lion City. QF5, the normally scheduled 1715 hours SYD - SIN has been cancelled, suggesting either that one A333 or a suitable A332 has failed, that passenger loadings are so light that the flights are combining or there are problems with staff availability.

Similarly QF29, the 1115 hours MEL - HKG has been cancelled and replaced by a flight bearing the same number to SYD, where arrival is suggested as 1240 hours and departure at 1340 with a resultant 1740 hours arrival in HKG, although the latter time must be a mistake as that is only a gate-to-gate time of seven hours from SYD to HKG.

Perhaps my suggestions as to the reason above are all incorrect and there is something else occurring? Very, very odd to have two QFi Asian flights ex MEL both altering to operate via SYD.

Wife is at the airport now (waiting for the delayed NZ124) and an announcement was made in the terminal that QF29 is going via SYD for a topup as there is not enough fuel at MEL airport to make it all the way to HKG. Very odd… (edit: see link in post above, thanks!)

 

[Quickstatus]

Great pickup!!

This is not the first time fuel shortages have occurred. All Jetfuel is imported ex SIN???. I unsure if the Exxonmobil refinery near MEL produces JetA1.
Before the fuel can be released it has to be up to "specification". Occasionally it is not and therefore cannot be released into the "hydrants" at the airport. This happened today. That fuel will have to be rebatched

 

[Ansett]

Great pickup!!

This is not the first time fuel shortages have occurred. All Jetfuel is imported ex SIN???. I unsure if the Exxonmobil refinery near MEL produces JetA1.

Altona refinery produces up to 13 million litres of refined products per day - enough to fill more than 300,000 cars.
Petrol represents approximately 60 percent of production, with diesel representing a further 30 percent and jet fuel around 10 percent. The percentage of each product depends on the type of feedstock used - different types of crude oil, for example, will produce more or less LPG from the refining process

Also there was an issue at the refinery that saw hydrogen and naptha released requiring emergency services. Perhaps this may have had an impact on Jet A1 Production?

 

[docjames]

Great pickup!!

This is not the first time fuel shortages have occurred. All Jetfuel is imported ex SIN???. I unsure if the Exxonmobil refinery near MEL produces JetA1.
Before the fuel can be released it has to be up to "specification". Occasionally it is not and therefore cannot be released into the "hydrants" at the airport. This happened today. That fuel will have to be rebatched

Was also made at Bulwer in Brisbane (prior to it's closure) and is also made at Kwinana in Perth.

 

[Quickstatus]

Fuel shortage at Melbourne Airport could force flight delays, diversions - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The imported batch was "off". The local batch is piped and unaffected. Usually means the imported stuff has to be shipped back unless Altona has spare capacity to rebatch the out of spec shipment

 

[Melburnian1]

Thnak you pjm99au, jpk and Ansett for these oustanding (by that I mean 'very good' - not 'still work to be completed') contributions.

So my original guesses were wrong.

I recall that when the Anderson Road level crossing along the Bendigo line was being grade separated, the previous Liberal government in Victoria went to a lot of trouble because the fuel line to Melbourne Airport was (and is) right by the former level crossing.

As Quickstatus observes, this is not the first time in the last two or three years that there has been a lack of available Jet A1 fuel for the voracious consumption that occurs at MEL.

One wonders if international airlines that are affected will ask for compensation from either the importer, the ExxonMobil refinery or Melbourne Airport, or whether legal action will eventually result.

Plus there's the not-so-small matter of delayed passengers, some of whom whether business or leisure are on tight schedules. Thankfully November is not as busy passenger-wise for international flights as mid December onwards.

The diverted via SYD QF29 (B744 VH-OJT, MEL - SYD - HKG) took off from SYD at 1426 hours on Friday 25 November.

QF881, the 1140 hours OOL - MEL that was airborne at 1226 (B738 VH-XZL) should arrive 32 minutes late at 1527.

 

[Quickstatus]

The closure of refineries is partly to blame relying on imports of the finished product and no local capacity to rebatch out of spec shipments. Though no one an guarantee fuel supplies.

Badgerys creek fuel will initially at least be trucked...

 

[Quickstatus]

Melburnian1,

The fuel issue at MEL still does not explain why QF5 was cancelled with QF35 now doing MEL-SYD-SIN. The very cynical would suggest that the unexpected fuel problem Gave the airline an unexpected opportunity for some covert dynamic capacity shedding

 

[whatmeworry]

There was a leak at the Altona refinery the other day but according to the article, the supply chain has had problems for a while. Whoever is to blame, this could be a security issue for Australia in the years to come.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to the MEL lack of fuel situation, QF30 from HKG back to MEL on Friday 25 November is estimated to depart 80 minutes late at 2110 hours tonight.

QF36 from SIN is far worse affected, with it projected to push back at midnight instead of 1945 - in simple terms, 255 minutes tardy. While this is best classified as a delay (until it starts getting even longer) that is outside the airline's control, unfortunately it negatively affects the FlightStats 'rating' that is given out of five for punctuality and reliability. Statisticians would call it an 'outlier' statistic (assuming it is not a regular occurrence).

As implied above, tonight's QF6 from SIN to SYD has been cancelled.

 

[Pushka]

Just get it all sorted for Boxing Day.

 

[Melburnian1]

While A388 VH-OQB on QF10 ex LHR and DXB should arrive in MEL on Friday 25 November about 15 minutes early at 2110 hours, QF9 has been altered to depart at 0100 on Saturday 26 instead of 2325 hours tonight. Others may be able to advise whether this is related to the MEL fuel shortage.

QF465 (1900 hours SYD down to MEL that was in the sky at exactly 2000 hours, B738 VH-VZR) is likely to arrive 46 minutes behind schedule at 2121.

 

[Melburnian1]

EK407, the 2230 hours MEL - DXB is being altered with its Friday 25 November departure to have a fuel stop in PER super early on Saturday morning ('small hours).

Logically, the delayed QF9 that should depart from MEL 125 minutes behind at 0100 on Saturday 26 should do the same, but there is as yet not any indication that this is occurring. Perhaps QF has priority, or deeper pockets, than EK.

QF701 (B738 VH-VXK, the 2030 hours MEL - ADL that was airborne at 2130) is arriving at about 2201, 41 minutes behind.

QF494, the 2100 hours MEL - SYD that took off at 2143 is operated by B738 VH-VZP. It should finish its trip at 2259 hours, 34 minutes late.