Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Saturday 16 September, QF23 from SYD to BKK is again late, with an 83 minute late departure at 1113 meaning suggested arrival at 1755 very late this afternoon local time, 75 late.

QF129 (0935 hours SYD - PVG, A222 VH-QPF) did not take off until 1245 this afternoon, so arrval is estimated at 2050 tonight, 140 minutes late. This will badly delay tonight's QF130 back to SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Saturday 16 September, QF10 from DXB and LHR (A388 VH-OQK) is arriving MEL at roughly 2125, half an hour behind, so QF9 back to the Middle East and Londres will be unable to depart until about 2305 at the earliest, and going on past turnarounds has a good chance of not departing until 2330.

 

[Himeno]

Later on Saturday 16 September, QF10 from DXB and LHR (A388 VH-OQK) is arriving MEL at roughly 2125, half an hour behind, so QF9 back to the Middle East and Londres will be unable to depart until about 2305 at the earliest, and going on past turnarounds has a good chance of not departing until 2330.

In MEL F lounge at the moment. Signage showing QF9 departing at 2315.

Or maybe not. Crew just boarded at 2250. They expect pax to board at 2300. (Which means this lounge will close soon ).
Might head next door to the JL contract lounge for 20ish mins until JL774 boards.

 

[Ansett]

In MEL F lounge at the moment. Signage showing QF9 departing at 2315.

Or maybe not. Crew just boarded at 2250. They expect pax to board at 2300. (Which means this lounge will close soon ).
Might head next door to the JL contract lounge for 20ish mins until JL774 boards.

The lounge should stay open till the flight is fully departed and pushed backed.....

 

[Melburnian1]

QF9 on Saturday 16 September ended up departing 46 late at 2341 but should only be 20 minutes late arriving in DXB at 0725 hours on Sunday 17.

Due to the QF129 delay on Saturday 16, QF130 (PVG - SYD overnight, A333 VH-QPF) is arriving on Sunday 17 at about 1129, 179 minutes late. This is delaying QF81 from SYD to SIN from its normal 1025 hours departure to a claimed 1250, which is just about minimum turnaround for an A333; SIN arrival should be at about 1915 tonight, 145 minutes tardy.

QF117 from SYD to HKG, the scheduled 1200 'high noon' is expected to depart 85 minutes late with projected arrival at 2105 seeing no change to the timekeeping deficit.

B738 VH-XZK on QF824 (0900 hours BNE - DRW) did not become airborne on 17 September until 0955, so arrival is predicted for 1336 hours, 46 late.

 

[Flyerqf]

Saturday's QF15 didn't depart until 2031, therefore trans continent QF11/12 is cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 17 September, QF1504 (B717 VH-NXR, the 1300 hours HBA - MEL that was airborne at 1345) looks to be arriving at 1453, 33 minutes behind schedule. It had earlier arrived in HBA at about 1225 hours, only five minutes late on QF1583 ex DSYD, so it had plenty of time to form QF1504.

VHJ-NXR has then operated QF1507, the 1520 hours MEL - HBA that took off at 1600; arrival is suggested as 1705, half an hour late. In turn this will delay QF1508, the scheduled 1715 hours from HBA back up to MEL that may be able to be off blocks at 1735 if all goes well.

 

[defurax]

QF1508 out of HBA is further delayed. The flight crew are fatigued and so apparently QF is now looking for another captain and FO. Maybe they can get the crew that is scheduled to operate the 6AM flight?

 

[Melburnian1]

defurax, excellent on-the-spot post: is my memory correct in that QF does not have any flight crew based in HBA, but has cabin crew based there?

If true, then the amount of rest that the flight crew for QF1500 tomorrow morning (the timetabled 0610 hours to MEL) have had might be an important factor...perhaps they have simply not had sufficient (as one might expect them to arrive in Hobart mid afternoon today.)

There is also QF1582 (the 0620 hours HBA - SYD) that must require a crew to overnight if not based in the island capital.

 

[defurax]

Maybe the crew arriving from MEL or SYD at 20:30 and 20:50 will be able to operate QF1508. I guess QF still have time to fly an extra crew to HBA on one of these two flights.

 

[defurax]

According to TripIt QF1508 is now due to depart HBA at 21:20.

 

[Melburnian1]

The four hour delay to Sunday 17 September's QF1508 (see above) is also resulting in a long wait for MEL - HBA QF1509 passengers, with the latter's expected departure 2300 hours - 225 minutes late - and arrival suggested as 0020 on Monday 18 instead of 2030 tonight. One would expect that the flight crew would not be again rostered until an afternoon flight tomorrow so that should not be affected, touch wood.

 

[defurax]

A crew just arrived from Sydney for QF1508. PAX were given food vouchers (even in the Qantas Club) and HBA pax with missed connections have been booked hotel stays in MEL. So overall QF did a good job and safety first as usual.

 

[Melburnian1]

The much delayed QF1508 departed HBA at 2134 (259 minutes late) with arrival suggested as 2254 in MEL instead of 1835 hours. There is no way that QF1509 will be able to depart at 2300 hours: 2325 or later is the go.

 

[Melburnian1]

Windy conditions were encountered in SYD for a couple of days last week and now it's MEL's turn.

As at 0745 there were not many appreciable delays but by 0810 with peak hour upon the airport and many approaching aircraft in holding patterns, this was beginning to change. QF674 (B738 VH-VXA) the 0640 hours ADL across to MEL that took off only marginally late at 0657 is in a 'racecourse-like chase' with VA206, the 0635 ex ADL over Warracknabeal with arrival at gate of both unlikely before 0900 hours. In QF's case, this is half an hour late.

B738 VH-VZP on QF403 (0645 hours SYD down to MEL that was airborne at 0714) has been held in the usual place over Mt Buller, Vic. Arrival is estimated at 0903, 43 late.

 

[Quickstatus]

YMML ATIS:
INFO W. WND: 360 DEG MNM 20 KTS, MAX 35 KTS, MAX CROSSWIND 18 KTS. WIND AT 1500 FT 350/55.
INFO W. TMP: 12. QNH: 1013. EXP RNAV APCH. RWY 34. WX: CAVOK.

 

[jb747]

There will be some go arounds with that sort of breeze....

BTW, 'racecourse-like chase' is called a holding pattern!

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you jb747. Winds at MEL have been gusting to 74 kilometres an hour in the latest half hour, exceeding any other BOM weather station in what it defines as the 'Melbourne area.'

I was just trying to introduce some variety into the words used to describe a holding pattern. Variety is the spice...

 

[jb747]

INFO N. WND: 350 DEG MNM 25 KTS, MAX 40 KTS, MAX CROSSWIND 18 KTS. WIND AT 500 FT 350/50.

ATIS as of 1000 or so.

Not nice at all...there will almost certainly be substantial undershoot shear on the approach. Find out myself in a couple of hours, when I pax in with Rex.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with a windy 18 September in Melbourne, QF838 (0830 hours MEL up to DRW, B738 VH-VZD) took off at 0855 so arrival should be 31 minutes behind time at 1301 this afternoon.

QF93 from MEL to LAX departed 114 minutes late at 1109. Same day arrival should be at 0810 hours, 95 late. As QF94 had arrived this morning from LAX only about nine minutes late at 0704, did the winds at MEL delay 'the 93's' (to use the delightful term employed occasionally by one of our aviators) or was there another reason for the delay? Perhaps the redoubtable milehighclub can fill us in.

Usually with such a delay to QF93, the 'connecting' QF11 (ex QF15) in LAX is held for the trip across to JFK. It will be interesting to see if this occurs as QF15 is expected to arrive in the movie capital a little early and the other 'connector', QF11 ex SYD, is very close to time.

This shows the difficulty with operating a connecting LAX - JFK flight in that all it needs is for one of the three to be late and a tardy trip across the USA can be the result. Sometimes this is compounded by thunderstorms or wintry weather in New York further adding to any delay, and then there's the turnaround time at JFK which for the B744 is not overly generous.

QF63 from SYD to JNB, the 1050 hours was displaying as delayed until '1120 hours' but departed at 1139. However it is expected to regain much of the time with slated JNB arrival as 1713, 13 minutes late.

QF19 (1205 hours SYD - MNL) was yet to depart by 1240.