Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

...on Tuesday 3, this 1110 hours scheduled B744 flight has been delayed in departing until an expected 1435 AEST (1535 AEDT) with estimated arrival at 0840 in lieu of 0600 in LAX...

QF15 departed at 1451 but LAX arrival is now suggested as 0935, 215 minutes late. If QF11 still operates across the USA to JFK, this will mean a LAX departure after 1105 compared with the timetable of 0820 hours, and if all goes well maybe a two hour late arrival back in LAX on Tuesday 3, in turn delaying QF16 to BNE and probably one of QF12 or QF94, as the twice weekly QF18 B744 to SYD or QF96 B744 to MEL do not normally operate on Tuesdays if I recall.

 

[cove]

What has happened to the A380 that went out of service in Dubai the other day? Did it fly to Sydney?

 

[Melburnian1]

cove, A388 VH-OQF had its defective fuel sensor fixed and so arrived in SYD with QF2 at about 1547 on Monday 2 January.

I then made this comment in the forum:

The A388-operated longhaul from SYD to DFW, QF7 was meant to be delayed from its 1505 scheduled mid afternoon pushback to 1545 but the estimate has changed to 1605. Interestingly VH-OQF, the aircraft that spent a mammoth number of hours in DXB while a fuel sensor was examined is the aircraft. The gate lounge numbers previously indicated that this plane was returning to DXB and LHR on this afternoon's QF1, the 1645 hours.

----------------------

As of now, it is on its way from DFW to SYD as QF8, set to arrive on time (the QF website states pre-curfew lifting some nine minutes early at 0556 on Wednesday 4 January.)

 

[Himeno]

QF15 departed at 1451 but LAX arrival is now suggested as 0935, 215 minutes late. If QF11 still operates across the USA to JFK, this will mean a LAX departure after 1105 compared with the timetable of 0820 hours, and if all goes well maybe a two hour late arrival back in LAX on Tuesday 3, in turn delaying QF16 to BNE and probably one of QF12 or QF94, as the twice weekly QF18 B744 to SYD or QF96 B744 to MEL do not normally operate on Tuesdays if I recall.

QF17/18 is seasonal over the peak period after it's normal operational withdraw for the return of SFO. QF95/96 is not seasonal and has operated 2 or 3 times a week since the start of 2015. 95/96 is being withdrawn at the end of this month to allow the 747 to operate on QF29/30 (before returning in December with a 787).

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Tuesday 3 January, QF1 (A388 VH-OQJ, 1645 hours SYD to DXB and LHR) took off unusually late at 1905 hours with Middle East arrival forecast to be 70 minutes delayed at 0150 hours on Wednesday 4 January.

Many thousands of kilometres away, QF12 on Monday 2 January left LAX 57 minutes late but is expected to recover 17 minutes with an 0910 hours, 40 late arrival in SYD on Wednesday 4. QF94 (LAX - MEL) departed 66 minutes late as it looks to have been held for a second consecutive night to await the delayed arrival of the B744-operated QF12 ex JFK; QF94 should be in MEL 45 minutes late on Wednesday 4 at 0945.

QF16 departed LAX a very similar 61 late at 0021 hours on Tuesday 3; arrival on 4 January in often sunny BNE should be at 0813, 68 late.

The word 'chronic' is sometimes used as slang to describe a something other than a human disease that continues. QF's late running on its JFK to LAX to Oz westbound routes may not yet quite be 'chronic' but it is 'serious.' The question is whether overall punctuality will improve once the USA (New York) winter is a season of the past for 2016-17.

 

[Melburnian1]

On FR24, it is interesting on Wednesday 4 January watching QF96 (B744 VH-OEE) 'chase' QF94 (A388 VH-OQK) as they complete their marathon journeys from LAX to MEL. 94 should arrive about 51 minutes late at 0952; 94 is about 35 minutes late. As noted above, QF93 this morning will be late away due to QF94's tardiness.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to Tuesday 3 January's late QF15 ex BNE that departed at 1451, that day's QF11 from LAX to JFK is very late, having departed at 1155 instead of 0820; arrival is suggested as 2015 instead of 1630.

QF12 is then predicted to depart at 2135 - an 80 minute turnaround - instead of 1800, and arrive LAX at 0030 on Wednesday 4 rather than mid evening at 2055 on the 3rd.

The onward QF12 (different aircraft) is forecast to depart at 0130 hours on Wednesday, three hours late for a SYD arrival on Thursday 5 at 1115, 165 minutes tardy.

It is back to standard operating procedure for QF94 which is anticipated to run on time - which QF would view as important in trying to keep QF93 ex MEL on Thursday 5 punctual - but QF16 from LAX to BNE will naturally be delayed, expected BNE arrival on Thursday 5 January being 1015, 190 minutes late.

Unless QF has a spare B744 and is able to work it up empty to operate QF15 on Thursday morning, 5 January, the cycle of unpunctuality will continue, but provision of a 'spare' does not appear to be possible because the QF website already asserts that QF15 on Thursday will depart 65 minutes late at 1215, arriving LAX 65 minutes behind schedule at 0705 hours.

At least passengers on QF15 ex BNE tomorrow have 24 hours' notice of the likely delay so QF should be commended for that. It and other airlines do not always give such advance notice, even when it is obvious that a flight will be formed by an arrival that is certain to be delayed.

The times are not set in concrete: on occasion, the flights can pick up time on some sectors on a gate-to-gate basis.

 

[docjames]

Actually there would be nothing stopping him from using one of the forward horizontal crew rests. It would not happen though, as they're required by the pilots for that flight, but there's no restriction on their use.

If he was allocated a coughpit jump seat (which could only happen if the Captain agreed to it), he would not be permitted to enter the cabin at any point during the flight, and would have to remain in the coughpit for the entire journey. Those rules apply to everyone.

I thought flight crew were allowed to exit the coughpit? Does that "rule" only apply to "boarders" in the coughpit?

Has that rule changed? The captain(s) often used to come around and say hello to pax during the flight (certainly within the last 12-24 months).

Why that rule on an A380 and not on other aircraft (or is that just due to the no rest area / no toilet in the coughpit of other aircraft)?

 

[jb747]

I thought flight crew were allowed to exit the coughpit? Does that "rule" only apply to "boarders" in the coughpit?

Flight crew can do whatever they like, when in uniform and part of the crew. We're talking about a staff passenger using a jump seat. There are very restrictive rules in place regarding them. In many jurisdictions, they aren't allowed at all.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF93 departed MEL (A388 VH-OQK) at 1211 hours on Wednesday 4 January, 56 minutes late with an 0715 predicted arrival in LAX, 40 minutes late.

Bound for a different direction, QF63 departed SYD at 1240 - 65 minutes tardy with JNB same day arrival mooted as 1715 hours, 40 minutes behind schedule. VH-OEG is the B744. Lately QF63 and QF64 have been keeping good time most days.

The 1250 hours longhaul from SYD to SCL, QF27, has been delayed from 1250 to 1410 in its departure. It had been displaying as expected to be on time this morning. Arrival has been put back to a forecast 1230, also 80 minutes tardy. QF28 today (SCL time) will inevitably be late pushing back.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 3 January, QF12 (B744) departed JFK at 2145, 225 minutes behind schedule, arriving LAX at 0057 hours on Wednesday 4, 242 late.

A388 VH-OQB on the continuation of QF12 from LAX to SYD has a timetabled departure of 2230 hours (Tuesday 3.) This became 0130 hours on Wednesday 4 to connect from JFK, but at 2140 AEDT was altered to become 0300, meaning that even if the flight picks up half an hour it will still be four hours late into SYD - QF is predicting a 1245 hours early afternoon arrival, 255 minutes late.

The more critical cog in the wheel as regards punctuality (because QF12 can have a reasonable layover in SYD even if a few hours late in arriving, and form QF1 at 1645 hours to DXB and LHR, but normally QF16 after arriving in BNE has to go back to LAX), QF16, is still publicly displaying as an 0230 hours LAX departure on Wednesday 4 for BNE but has yet to do so as at 0244 hours LAX time.

It is looking like QF15 on Wednesday 4 will be more delayed than the 65 minutes late (1215 hours) QF is predicting ex BNE.

UPDATE: QF16 (B744 VH-OEH) commenced its pushback in LAX at 0306, 226 minutes tardy. As is often the case, QF may revise its arrival time in BNE once it has taken off.

As at 0314 LAX time (2214 AEDT), QF12 appears not to have yet moved away from its terminal gate. I do not know what time the flight crew signed on but hopefully they are still well within their duty hours limitations - (18 hours if I recall with a possible extension by agreement to 20?)

 

[Flyerqf]

QF16 has departed before the QF12.

I hesistate in speculating but it could be an aircraft issue because all the connecting passengers should have tramsferred if 16 was able to get away.

 

[Melburnian1]

The delayed QF16 was airborne at about 0329 Los Angeles time (2229 AEDT, 2129 AEST) for Brisbane, so it will be significantly late at the latter on Thursday 5 January.

QF12 appears still not to have moved. Maybe Flyerqf's hypothesis has credence.

UPDATE: QF12 departed at 0338 hours LAX time, 308 minutes (more than five hours) late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 5 January 2017, the very late QF12 (VH-OQB) ex LAX (due into SYD at 1330, five hours tardy) appears from the gate numbers allocated to be then operating the 1505 hours QF7, SYD - DFW. If this is correct, QF7 will be at least slightly late departing.

QF128 (B744 VH-OEB) ex HKG should arrive in SYD at approximately 0829, 34 minutes tardy.

On Wednesday 4 January QF9 departed DXB five minutes late at 0835 but unusually arrived LHR 56 minutes behind schedule at 1336 hours. It has been (even for the UK) a chilly return to work in early January for Londoners.

The Thursday 5 arriving QF74 should pull in at about 1004, 64 minutes behind schedule with B744 VH-OEJ. As this aircraft looks to be then on QF117, the 1325 SYD - HKG, it should be able to depart on time.

 

[Flyerqf]

B744 VH-OEJ. As this aircraft looks to be then on QF117, the 1325 SYD - HKG, it should be able to depart on time.

Currently OEJ is scheduled to go back to SFO

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Thursday 5 January, A333 VH-QPJ on QF81 (1115 hours SYD - SIN) was airborne at 1219; arrival should be at 1705, 35 minutes late. FR24 claims an arrival time of '1757 hours': it is often wrong, exaggerating delays when a flight is in its earlier stages and sometimes correcting the mistake much later.

The 1135 hours from SYD to JNB, QF63 (B744 VH-OJU) departed at 1234 but did not take off until 1306. Arrival is suggested as 65 minutes late at 1740.

Earlier, QF79, the 0915 hours recently introduced MEL - NRT departed 46 minutes late at 1001; arrival is predicted as 45 late at 1815. Expect QF80, the 1900 hours scheduled flight back to depart NRT at around the 1920 -1930 mark.

Due to the late inbound QF16 from LAX, QF15 departed BNE 97 minutes late at 1247 hours with same day LAX arrival estimated at 0700, an hour behind schedule, in turn delaying the next sector to JFK.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Thursday 5 January, QF2086, the 1910 hours from MEL up to sunny MQL has been delayed in departing until an expected 2055.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Wednesday 4 January QF12 from LAX to SYD departed 70 minutes late at 2340 hours because the B744 on QF12 from JFK did not arrive until 2159, 64 late. Arrival in SYD for the A388-operated QF12 should be at 0938 hours, 68 minutes tardy on Friday 6.

Meanwhile QF15 left LAX at a quite similar 61 minutes tardy at 0021 on Thursday 5 with BNE arrival on Friday predicted as 40 minutes delayed at 0745, normally in plenty of time to form a punctual QF15 back to LAX.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 6 January 2017 sees QF1464, the early morning 0715 hours from CBR to SYD cancelled.

 

[Quickstatus]

Fog issues are continuing in the Gulf. A combination of high pressure systems sitting over the region, high humidity and calm weather is the cause. The fog seems to arise from the evening into the morning. Not only are flights delayed but ground traffic on roads and highways.

A search of Gulfnews and fog will raise the relevant news articles.

Boxing day (not celebrated in the USA so Dec 26) saw numerous car "pileups" on the Gulf's highways. including a 26 car.

Hopefully airlines like QF wont see a double whammy like the recent fog+technical issue. Some would say triple whammy of fog+technical issue+out of position CEO.:shock:

It is well known that crisis tend to arise because of a sequence of seemingly unrelated events and if only one of the sequence did not occur the crisis would not have happened.