Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

The 'Daily Telegraph' reports go even further, suggesting that on 15 September, the single runway ops in SYD will occur from 0800 to 1700 hours:

No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

 

[gaz0303]

QF418 Mel-Syd departed 2hrs late today. A late swap up to an a332 which was full. Overheard a few people in the lounge just cancel trips which I must help manage loads.

 

[Melburnian1]

Still on 14 September, QF1522 (1830 hours CBR - SYD that took off at an extremely late 2134 hours with B717 VH-YQT) should arrive at 2212, 167 minutes behind schedule.

QF549 (B738 VH-XZE, the 1805 hours BNE down to SYD that was pointing skywards at 2001) is arriving at around 2216, 156 minutes late. QF484 (1915 hours early evening MEL up to SYD that took off at 2020 with VH-VXB) is pulling in at roughly 2218, 98 minutes tardy. The next arrival is A332 VH-EBO on QF582 (1420 hours transcon from PER across to SYD that was airborne at 1544) - arrival should be at 2225 hours, 115 minutes late.

The 2015 hours BNE - SYD QF678 was only about 20 minutes late in taking off at 2050 but B738 VH-VYF is not arriving until 2245, 55 minutes tardy due to a couple of lengthy holding patterns.

Some other flights look to be very close to breaching the 2300 hours SYD curfew: as at 2233, QF559 (2100 hours from BNE that was in the sky at 2137, VH-VXS) was still in a hold.

QF492 (2030 hours MEL - SYD that took off at 2107 with B738 VH-XZC) looks to be arriving at 2259 (although teh critical touchdown time is at 2254.)

Transcontinental QF566, the 1620 hours PER to SYD (A320 VH-EBB) took off at 1704 and looks to be arriving post-curfew at a touchdown of 2308 or later, following EK414 so a degree of separation is required. As at 2240 it was still in hold slightly to Goulburn NSW's west.

QF774 (B738 VH-VXM) is behind 566, with 774 suggested as touching down at 2315. This flight's gate arrival time is meant to be 2135 so that gives some idea of how serious today's delays have been.

QF2193, the 1905 hours MRZ down to SYD (Q200 VH-TQS) took off at 2106 and after a slow trip is landing on 34L at 2307. It is normally due in SYD (gate time) at 2040.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to expected continuing high winds during many daylight hours of Friday 15 September, QF412 and QF418, respectively the 0730 and 0900 hours from MEL up to SYD have been cancelled.

There may be a 'cat and mouse' game going on in that further cancellations are probable but these will depend on whether unacceptably high winds continue. VA looks to be doing the same: not yet publicly announcing further cancellations.

As at 0800 AEST, the winds have decreased at Sydney Airport but were stronger at 0530 so might be highly variable.

 

[OATEK]

Due to expected continuing high winds during many daylight hours of Friday 15 September, QF412 and QF418, respectively the 0730 and 0900 hours from MEL up to SYD have been cancelled.

There may be a 'cat and mouse' game going on in that further cancellations are probable but these will depend on whether unacceptably high winds continue. VA looks to be doing the same: not yet publicly announcing further cancellations.

As at 0800 AEST, the winds have decreased at Sydney Airport but were stronger at 0530 so might be highly variable.

The wind is getting up already, so does not augur well for those travelling to/from SYD today.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 15 September, B744 VH-OEE (1000 SYD - HKG, QF127) took off at a delayed 1114 hours after pushing back at 1043. Arrival is estimated at 1756, 35 late.

QF23, the increasingly unreliable SYD - BKK has been delayed from 0950 hours to a claimed 1105 but had not departed by 1118.

A332 VH-EBC on QF417 (0830 hours SYD - MEL) did not become airborne until 1040 so arrival is looking like 117 minutes late at 1202 hours. The aircraft is then operating QF475, the scheduled 1135 hours MEL - PER that will be unable to commence push back until at least 1245.

An earlier MEL - PER, QF485 (VH-EBP) was timetabled to depart at 0905 but did not take off until 1049 this morning, meaning predicted arrival at 1238, 83 minutes late.

Another PER-bound flight, but this time from BNE (QF589, the 0820 hours) did not point skywards until 1012 so the A332 operating it, VH-EBN will not be in the western capital until 13289, 94 minutes tardy.

These transcontinental delays will mean late departures for quite a few flights ex PER this afternoon and probably compound onto some SYD-bound flights if the aircraft are first travelling back to MEL or BNE.

B738 VH-VYI on QF741 from SYD to ADL should arrive half an hour late at 1200 'high noon.'

 

[Drpopper]

Evidently they have switched to single runway operations this morning already ...20 plus cancellations so far and rising ..... with all east coast routes suffering.

 

[jb747]

The ATIS is showing 20 knots, and even the forecasts don't show more than 25 knots of crosswind. Up to 30 later in the day, but more southerly, so only about 15 knots of crosswind (on 16). I don't get the issue....20-25 knots is inconvenient, but that's about the extent of it.

 

[Melburnian1]

I am loathe to ever question a 'doctor' (as in 'doctorate') but Drpopper, as far as I can see at present departures are mostly on 16R at SYD at present but 16L is receiving some use. However I have not observed every departure thus far today, and it may be fluid.

As jb747 implies, what the BOM forecast last night has not come to be the situation so far today.

However there are quite a few delays, perhaps because earlier in the morning the winds were stronger and hence QF and VA cancelled some MEL - SYD flights (as one example), which causes inevitable repercussions for passengers, crewing, aircraft availability and so on.

QF2002 (Q300 VH-TQY, the 1055 from SYD up to TMW) looked to be third in the take off queue at 1153, so it will be at least 50 minutes late arriving in the northern NSW major city.

 

[Drpopper]

I'm just going by what was on the ABC news 39 mins ago .. Flight chaos continues in Sydney as winds force more cancellations

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 15 September, QF63, the 1050 hours (B744 VH-OEB) from SYD to JNB departed at 1156. Arrival is predicted 55 minutes delayed at 1755.

QF2181, 0925 hours MRZ down to SYD took off at 1056 with Q200 VH-TQS. Arrival was at 1218, 78 late.

Updating QF23, it departed at 1116 (86 late) and should arrive in BKK at around 1750 hours, 70 late.

Although QF81 had a punctual departure from SYD (five minutes behind at 1030), arrival is predicted at 1728, 38 late in SIN.

QF424 (B738 VH-XZN, the 1030 hours MEL - SYD that took off at 1121) is arriving at about 1227, 32 minutes behind schedule.

The 0855 hours from CFS to SYD (QF2105, Q300 VH-SBB) looks to be poulling in to the mainland harbour city at about 1236 hours, 131 minutes past the allotted.

QF2021 from ARM to SYD is a little better, with Q300 VH-SBG arriving at 1238, 78 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with the many delays of Friday 15 September, QF519, the 1035 hours BNE - SYD (B738 VH-VXC) did not become airborne until 1156; arrival is at a suggested 1317 this afternoon, 67 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Quickstatus]

I don't get it. XW of 20kts is hardly onerous. Why the media commentary about major delays at SYD? And the winds are trending southerly which is better for a 16/34 runway config?

INFO Y. PARL RWY OPS IN PROGRESS. INDEP DEPS IN PROGRESS. WIND: 250/10-20 XW MN 16 MAX 20 KTS,TW MAX 5KTS.
SIGWX: EXP TURB IN CIRCUIT AREA. QNH: 1016. EXP INDEP VIS APCH. CL. RWY 34L&R FOR ARRS & DEPS. WX: CAVOK. TMP: 22.

 

[Drpopper]

No idea it looks actually like not so much (apart from a couple of early cancellations this morning and the typical general regional tardiness) has gone wrong today. Yet all over the media it is ....

I don't get it. XW of 20kts is hardly onerous. Why the media commentary about major delays at SYD? And the winds are trending southerly which is better for a 16/34 runway config?

INFO Y. PARL RWY OPS IN PROGRESS. INDEP DEPS IN PROGRESS. WIND: 250/10-20 XW MN 16 MAX 20 KTS,TW MAX 5KTS.
SIGWX: EXP TURB IN CIRCUIT AREA. QNH: 1016. EXP INDEP VIS APCH. CL. RWY 34L&R FOR ARRS & DEPS. WX: CAVOK. TMP: 22.

 

[Melburnian1]

Quickstatus, as I noted above, one reason for many of the delays - and there are more than a few, along with some cancellations - is that the winds were quite strong in SYD at about 0530 hours this morning.

Presumably this affected early flights - for instance, note above how arrivals into SYD mid morning from places like Moree (QF) and (on another thread) Cooma (ZL) were quite bad. It being Friday, with heavy demand from midday (and bearing in mind the AFL Swans are playing at the 'G tonight), the planes have not had sufficient turnarounds in many cases to recover.

QF1569 (B717 VH-YQW, the 1320 hours OOL down to SYD that took off at 1554) is arriving at an expected 1709, 139 minutes tardy.

The 1220 hours lunchtime QF569 from PER across to SYD, QF580 (A332 VH-EBP) was in the sky at 1429. It should arrive at 2002 hours, 92 minutes late.

The westbound QF475 (scheduled 1135 hours MEL across to PER, A332 VH-EBP) was in the sky at 1313, so is arriving at a suggested 1507, a fairly similar 82 minutes late.

 

[moa999]

I see Tourism groups are already using this as a push to remove the 15min/hourly caps, to enable airlines to better recover from events like this

 

[Melburnian1]

moa999, they may be successful in removing the 'every 15 minutes' movement cap but ceasing the 'movements per hour' cap would be a much bigger battle, and unlikely to escape notice from local residents.

Another contentious move - and unlikely to be proposed by any Coalition Government scared of being voted out a la the greyhounds fiasco - would be to suggest that the likes of Rex (and perhaps even QantasLink and Virgin Australia Regional) move to Bankstown Airport in Sydney. That might be logical (in terms of prioritising SYD for higher capacity aircraft) but it would upset many passengers, electors and the three named airlines, and may be redundant given that Badgerys Creek will be open in a few years' time.

It is especially wasteful to have small aircraft operating between NTL and SYD: these journeys could be replaced by passengers driving themselves or travelling by train.

What is really required is high speed trains between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. These would not replace every air journey - for instance most would still travel MEL - BNE and v.v. by air - but based on overseas experience, huge numbers of passengers on trips like SYD - MEL and BNE - or OOL to SYD would transfer from air to rail.

Still on 15 September 2017, QF826 (B738 VH-VZP, the 1640 hours MEL - CBR that pushed back at 1722 hours) is arriving at a suggested 1817 hours, 32 late.

 

[Drpopper]

What is really required is high speed trains between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. These would not replace every air journey - for instance most would still travel MEL - BNE and v.v. by air - but based on overseas experience, huge numbers of passengers on trips like SYD - MEL and BNE - or OOL to SYD would transfer from air to rail.

Nooooooo .... we need the passenger loads to keep our convenient schedule going, besides trains don't fly or have screaming jet engines What we need to is to just educate the whinging residents as to the aural beauty of listening to a pair of GE90-115b's on climb out. I love looking out my window watching and listening to a QF A388 doing a sharp left turn directly over the harbour bridge as it heads towards LAX.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 15, QF19 from SYD to MNL departed 46 minutes late at 1251, arriving MNL 47 late at 1917 hours. QF20 is expected to depart 40 minutes late at 2040 hours.

Although the SYD - DFW QF7 departed 71 late at 1341 this afternoon, arrival is predicted to only be 28 minutes tardy at 1328 (same day.)

QF8 is expected to arrive SYD half an hour late at 0635 hours on Saturday 16 September.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 16 September 2017 has QF130, the overnight PVG - SYD (A333 VH-QPH) arriving 35 minutes late at 0905 as last night despite its timetabled 1955 hours departure it did not take off until 2109. It has therefore made up quite some time on a gate-to-gate basis.

QF1876 (0830 hours PER across to ADL, B717 VH-NXD) took off at 0910; arrival is suggested as 39 late at 1329 this afternoon.

The B744 from SYD to SFO, QF73 departed an unusual 81 late at 1421; same day arrival is estimated at 1015 hours, 45 minutes down.

Due to yeswterday's late QF63, the arrival of QF64 on Saturday 16 in SYD (ex JNB) is estimated at 1542, 47 minutes late.