Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

You can mix and match the engines.....

If that is the case, why the delay with returning it to service?

Is it because an engine has to come from elsewhere, or that the NTSB (USA) or ATSB (Australia) want to examine the aircraft in detail (even though there does not appear to be a public update, leading to the conclusion that the ATSB is not launching a formal investigation), or does this A388 have other detected problems?

One assumes that it is in an airline's interest to try to return an aircraft to passenger carrying duties as quickly as is possible conversant with safety, as time is money.

 

[Quickstatus]

Speculating but maybe the engine is kaput and it's awaiting parts it or the other A380 operators do not have on hand?. Or something else preventing the aircraft from meeting MEL. Crew need to rest 2 days?

 

[Flyerqf]

QF9 is not operating (presumably this was planned, not just reactive to the QF94 loss of one engine incident) on Tuesday evening 23 May ex MEL, but from then on the flight appears to be operating daily.

So at least for tomorrow, QF requires one less A388 than normal.

QF15 on Tuesday 23 also seems not to be running, again 'part of the plan.' So this means one less B744 required tomorrow.

From what I can see, QF15 is operating tomorrow. Also the 388 that would be spare is on charter so no spares.

 

[Flyerqf]

QF82 has been delayed overnight and is expected to depart 11.5 hrs late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Despite arriving punctually in MEL on QF401, the 0600 first of the Tuesday 23 May morning flights at a scheduled 0600 hours from SYD down to MEL, B738 VH-VZC did not take off on QF675, the 0820 hours MEL - ADL until 0939.

Arrival was at about 1018, 68 minutes late. It then formed QF678 back to MEL, arriving at approximately 1236, 61 minutes late.

The 1025 hours SYD - SIN (A332 VH-EBR) departed at 1050; arrival should be at 1732 late this afternoon local time, 42 minutes late.

 

[jb747]

If that is the case, why the delay with returning it to service?

I expect that there aren't many $25 million engines just sitting around on the off chance that they might be used.

 

[Melburnian1]

I expect that there aren't many $25 million engines just sitting around on the off chance that they might be used.

Surely it would not have to be manufactured from scratch. Wouldn't this take too long? One source suggests they take 20 days to manufacture, which may be exclusive of testing.

From where would it have to come? Prince George, Virginia USA? By what means would it get to LAX: a cargo airline such as FedEx or Cargolux?

https://www.rolls-royce.com/country...-royce-in-the-us/rolls-royce-crosspointe.aspx

VRR solves problem of transporting Rolls-Royce aero engine | VRR

QF A388 VH-OQG is still sitting in LAX according to various flight websites.

Monday 22 May's QF16 (B744 VH-OEF) departed LAX 44 minutes late at 0004 hours on Tuesday 23 May; Wednesday 24 May BNE arrival will be at 0655, 45 minutes behind schedule.

Also on Monday 22, QF11 became a B744 (VH-OEF) while today (Tuesday 23 May) it was VH-OJT, probably the first time for a long while that it has been a B744 and not an A388 on two consecutive days, which is probably due to VH-OQG languishing in LAX. This downgauging as airlines call it may be harder on a typical Thursday to Monday as from memory not just the A388s but the QF B744s are often fully committed on those days, although sometimes there is an allowance for one of each being inoperable due to planned maintenance.

While there is no public information as to whether QF11 (and QF12) have been heavily booked - but QF12 may still be carrying overflow passengers from the VH-OQG incident of four days ago - advice from anyone who was 'bumped' due to the substution of a smaller seating capacity B744 for an A388 would be great as to what alternative flight arrangements were made, hotels, meals, transfers and so on.

 

[Quickstatus]

AFAIK the Trent900 are manufactured and assembled in Derby UK. RR also has a manufacturing facility in Singapore but thats concentrating on the Trent1000 and the new Trent7000.
RR has a risk and revenue sharing arrangements with several component manufacturers from across the Globe for the T900.

However the completed T900 comes out of the UK

It will fit into a 747 Freighter without disassembly

 

[Himeno]

While there is no public information as to whether QF11 (and QF12) have been heavily booked - but QF12 may still be carrying overflow passengers from the VH-OQG incident of four days ago - advice from anyone who was 'bumped' due to the substution of a smaller seating capacity B744 for an A388 would be great as to what alternative flight arrangements were made, hotels, meals, transfers and so on.

I doubt there would be anyone still delayed after 4 days. By now they would have rebooked everyone via other QF ex LAX flights or via SFO, DFW, HNL, AKL, NRT or HKG.

RR would have "spare" engines ready to replace damaged ones, but they wouldn't be sitting at any one port just waiting.

 

[Flyerqf]

Surely it would not have to be manufactured from scratch. Wouldn't this take too long? One source suggests they take 20 days to manufacture, which may be exclusive of testing.

From where would it have to come? Prince George, Virginia USA? By what means would it get to LAX: a cargo airline such as FedEx or Cargolux?

https://www.rolls-royce.com/country...-royce-in-the-us/rolls-royce-crosspointe.aspx

VRR solves problem of transporting Rolls-Royce aero engine | VRR

QF A388 VH-OQG is still sitting in LAX according to various flight websites.

Monday 22 May's QF16 (B744 VH-OEF) departed LAX 44 minutes late at 0004 hours on Tuesday 23 May; Wednesday 24 May BNE arrival will be at 0655, 45 minutes behind schedule.

Also on Monday 22, QF11 became a B744 (VH-OEF) while today (Tuesday 23 May) it was VH-OJT, probably the first time for a long while that it has been a B744 and not an A388 on two consecutive days, which is probably due to VH-OQG languishing in LAX. This downgauging as airlines call it may be harder on a typical Thursday to Monday as from memory not just the A388s but the QF B744s are often fully committed on those days, although sometimes there is an allowance for one of each being inoperable due to planned maintenance.

While there is no public information as to whether QF11 (and QF12) have been heavily booked - but QF12 may still be carrying overflow passengers from the VH-OQG incident of four days ago - advice from anyone who was 'bumped' due to the substution of a smaller seating capacity B744 for an A388 would be great as to what alternative flight arrangements were made, hotels, meals, transfers and so on.

QF11 was a 744 on Monday because the 388 operated as a charter from BNE to LAX (and no QF 15 was scheduled). The 388 from BNE went onto QF12 and the 744 from QF11 went to QF16. Was scheduled this way nothing to do with OQG.

Tuesday is always a 744 on QF11/12

The first time OQG being out will become an issue will be on Thursday.

 

[jb747]

Surely it would not have to be manufactured from scratch. Wouldn't this take too long? One source suggests they take 20 days to manufacture, which may be exclusive of testing.

Well that's a concept I'd never considered. It would be much easier to transport too.

 

[milehighclub]

The first time OQG being out will become an issue will be on Thursday.

Actually it has caused a substitution tomorrow with the QF11 now being a 747

 

[Melburnian1]

Actually it has caused a substitution tomorrow with the QF11 now being a 747

Thanks Flyerqf and milehighclub. That will make three consecutive days of a B744 operating QF11, of which the two previous (yesterday and today) are referred to above.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF8 does not often run late but on Tuesday 23 May, it departed DFW 25 minutes behind schedule at 2225 hours. Thursday 25 arrival in SYD is estimated as 0645 hours, 40 minutes late.

 

[docjames]

There's a QF7485 ADL-MEL tonight at 2015. No gate allocated as yet.

Flight radar24 suggest "type" is 14Z (BAE146200/QC).

Wonder why it's listed in pax terminal.....

 

[Must...Fly!]

There's a QF7485 ADL-MEL tonight at 2015. No gate allocated as yet.

Flight radar24 suggest "type" is 14Z (BAE146200/QC).

Wonder why it's listed in pax terminal.....

That is freight.

Those bizarre listings happen fairly often, they shouldn't be there but the airport receives the info for flights (depends on the airport, some list the flights for airlines and just allows them to change the status of boarding/go to gate/etc) so errors happen if one is not paying attention.

 

[Quickstatus]

There's a QF7485 ADL-MEL tonight at 2015. No gate allocated as yet.

Flight radar24 suggest "type" is 14Z (BAE146200/QC).

Wonder why it's listed in pax terminal.....

QF7*** flights are QF freight flights
The small 4 engine ultra quiet BAE146 are i think mail flights for Aust post and Star track (these are curfew immune at Sydney airport)
While QF freight have dedicated freighters, QF passenger A330 are often used on pure freight runs - so no passengers in cabin. (Eg VH-EBE April 26 as QF7301/7303)

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 25 May 2017, QF128 (B744 VH-OEI, the HKG - SYD overnight) should arrive at 0746 hours, 36 minutes tardy.

Still no 'movement at the station' for A388 VH-OQG that remains marooned in LAX. Excluding planned maintenance, this is becoming a reasonably long period for a QF longhaul aircraft to be inoperable, although it pales in comparison to the extremely lengthy and expensive repairs for VH-OQA 'Nancy Bird-Walton' following the QF32 4 November 2010 uncontained engine failure incident and subsequent grounding of the then smaller QF A388 fleet.

 

[Melburnian1]

Probably because of predicted morning fog around ABX that has hung around, QF2205, the 0815 hours SYD - ABX on Thursday 25 May was cancelled, although competitor VA1174 same route flight departed an hour and a half late at 0935.

QF2221, the 0805 hours SYD - WGA is instead expected to depart at 1155 which ties in with how a ZL MEL - WGA flight has been delayed from 0900 to a predicted 1200 'high noon' departure. Fog was also predicted at WGA.

The 1030 hours MEL - CBR, QF1528 has been cancelled, as later in the day is QF1507, the 1520 hours from MEL down to HBA.

The 1025 hours SYD - SIN (QF81, first of the day) departed 23 late at 1048; arrival is suggested as half an hour past the allotted at 1720 late this afternoon local time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Thyrsday 25 May, QF7 (A388 VH-OQJ), the 1230 longhaul from SYD to DFW departed 66 late with arrival suggested as 45 late same day at 1345 hours.

Opposite number QF8 departed DFW at 2215 hours on Wednesday 24 for a projected Friday 26 May arrival at 0635, half an hour late.

A388 VH-OQG is still in LAX, inoperable.

A332 VH-EBL on QF107, the 'very' medium haul took off from SYD at 1311, about 25 minutes late and so PEK arrival should be at about 2254 hours tonight, 39 minutes late. The returning QF108 is forecast to depart half an hour late at 0015 hours on Friday 26 May but it often picks up time on the return trip.