Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

I can vouch for this. Reason was storm in area so tarmac was cleared...

Milboo, thanks! Your information is something I or others who are not there would rarely glean. It isn't apparent from the BOM site a few hours later that there was a storm, so your information was gold. Nothing beats an AFF man on the spot (using 'man' in its traditional generic sense).

 

[JessicaTam]

Weekends exist for the staff member's families, which seems to be a key reason sickies are taken.

Please provide evidence for this. As a shift worker and manager of shift workers I have seen no increase in sick leave taken on weekends over weekdays.

 

[Melburnian1]

Please provide evidence for this. As a shift worker and manager of shift workers I have seen no increase in sick leave taken on weekends over weekdays.

Notorious among one Victorian transport operator, for a start.

 

[JessicaTam]

Notorious among one Victorian transport operator, for a start.

Source?

Edit: specifically regarding airlines, as you originally argued.

 

[Melburnian1]

Source?

Edit: specifically regarding airlines, as you originally argued.

Please carefully read what I said. I suggested it would be 'logical' to also be a problem among airlines, because as Quickstatus and I have suggested, in the two major Australian states, it's a problem in the surface transport industry that in some ways is even more of a 24/7 operation (or closer to one, even when they don't operate 24 hours a day) than the domestic airlines (apart from the relatively small number of overnight flights to/ex DRW, PER and sometimes CNS).

If those in the airline sector want to refute it, fine - but ideally publicly listed companies QF and VA should publish sick leave statistics. I doubt that either does, but haven't read their annual reports to that level of detail.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1010 (0600 hours HBA up to MEL on Wednesday 12 December 2018, B738 VH-VXQ) was not airborne until 0650 hours. Punctuality was not assisted by a hold in the usual favoured spot near Korumburra. Arrival looks to be at about 0811, 56 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

...QF94 LAX-MEL (A388 VH-OCQ) departed 96 minutes late and isn’t expected to arrive until 1055 tomorrow morning (65 minutes late)

QF35 (1220 hours lunchtime MEL up to SIN) is expected to commence its pushing back at 1240 hours. Based on recent turnaround times, it may be a little later than this.

 

[Quickstatus]

One of the features of a "Mondayitis" or "Xdayitis" is the occasional overwhelming of planned contingencies. When contingencies can cover, the problem is hidden as the organisation still functions without serious disruption and therefore not noticed. However once these has been exhausted, Mass Xdayitis then has the potential to cause serious disruptions that become noticed.

In my industry, most "itis" occur firstly on Friday, then Monday, then Wednesday. Mostly by wage earners who have that entitlement.

An aviator who frequents these pages have said that he is sometimes on Standby and has his car packed and (I think) pointed at the gate ready for a quick departure.

I wonder how many "Standbys" the airline has on any one day. Presumably there would be Standbys based on aircraft type and airport. There may or may not be Standbys built into the roster in outstation airports. If not on official Standby and all standbys are in use, the airline may then try to contact an off duty pilot which has the added problem of messing with forward rosters and legal hours.

Would high capacity routes such as SYD-MEL-SYD with multiple flights have higher numbers on Standbys?

 

[Melburnian1]

...Would high capacity routes such as SYD-MEL-SYD with multiple flights have higher numbers on Standbys?

Since flight crew fly airport types and multiple routes, looking at the number of standbys in MEL or SYD (versus say ADL) may be more appropriate.

 

[Melburnian1]

'The 9' delayed last night ex MEL as per jase05's advice above departed PER on 11 December at 1949 hours, 99 minutes tardy. LHR arrival on Thursday 12 December is expected at 0655 hours, 110 minutes late.

This flight has had pretty good timekeeping since inception but this is the first northern hemisphere winter for it, so it will be interesting to see what occurs.

Also on 12 December, QF416 (0830 hours MEL - SYD, due at its SYD gate at 0955, B738 VH-VZE) did not take off until 0923 despite pushing back at 0903. Arrival should be at roughly 1030, 35 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF129, the Wednesday 12 December 1055 hours SYD - PVG departed 23 late with arrival suggested tonight as 1903 hours, 33 late.

The 1100 hours SYD down to MEL, QF427 (B738 VH-VZE) took off at 1152 with B738 VH-VZE. Estimated arrival is 1310 hours, 35 down.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF has tweaked its online (website) flight status information to display it using a different font and with the origin and destination shown beneath the timetabled and estimated (actual) times. Is this so it can display better on smartphones and other non-PC devices?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF107 (12 December 2018, the 1335 hours lunchtime SYD up to PEK with A332 VH-EBO was delayed because the aircraft arrived in SYD on QF118 (ex HKG) at 1158, seven minutes early but did not then depart until 1450. Anticipated arrival at 2310 will be 55 minuts tardy, delaying the returning QF108 redeye back down to SYD.

The 1220 hours MEL - SIN (QF35) departed 25 late with arrival likely at 1736, 31 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

With a storm from the northeast not long having passed over MEL and a lot more rain on the way in the Greater Melbourne area, QF477, the 1815 hours early evening SYD - MEL that took off at 1859 (B738 VH-VZB) but has been in an unusual holding pattern quite close to the airport. Arrival is suggested as 2038, 48 late but that will depend on when the holding pattern finishes. (JQ777 had two missed approaches at around 2015 and as at 2031 had yet to land).

QF463 (VH-VXP, the 1830 hours SYD - MEL airborne at 1919) is arriving at 2050, 45 minutes behind.

The BNE - MEL QF631 (VH-XZM) should arrive at gate at about 2106 hours, 36 late.

QF489, the 2000 hours evening southbound from SYD to MEL, took off at 2102 hours with VH-VXB. Arrival will be at an estimated 2225, 50 late.

 

[jase05]

Not looking great for tomorrow morning.
0610 QF605 BNE-MEL cancelled
0645 QF403 SYD-MEL cancelled
0750 QF499 SYD-MEL cancelled
0930 QF421 SYD-MEL cancelled
1010 QF612 MEL-BNE cancelled

 

[Melburnian1]

Not looking great for tomorrow morning.
0610 QF605 BNE-MEL cancelled
0645 QF403 SYD-MEL cancelled
0750 QF499 SYD-MEL cancelled
0930 QF421 SYD-MEL cancelled
1010 QF612 MEL-BNE cancelled

Those cancellations are unbalanced (that is, not the same number in each direction for SYD - MEL - SYD).

In a quick look I couldn't see any from 1800 to 2059 hours tonight ex MEL that got the flick, or any northbounds tomorrow morning. There may have been other cancellations that I missed.

 

[jase05]

Those cancellations are unbalanced (that is, not the same number in each direction for SYD - MEL - SYD).

In a quick look I couldn't see any from 1800 to 2059 hours tonight ex MEL that got the flick, or any northbounds tomorrow morning. There may have been other cancellations that I missed.

I was thinking exactly the same so popped over to the QF website and they are all shown as being cancelled

 

[Melburnian1]

I was thinking exactly the same so popped over to the QF website and they are all shown as being cancelled

The aircraft don't have to necessarily travel MEL to SYD nonstop : they can go elsewhere such as MEL - ADL - SYD, but it still doesn't look an equal number. Odd.

 

[jb747]

There aren't vast numbers of standby crew, and the conditions of the standby vary according to type, contract, and basing. I'm a long way out, so I'm ready to leave home in a moment, but if I were closer in, there would be no requirement to go within 45 minutes of being called. It's not an instant standby, but rather one for a few hours out. Domestic cabin crew may actually be at the airport, but as the pilots are time limited, they normally aren't.

Beyond standbys, the company can call on people who are on 'A' days.

'Itis' may be a thing in the railways, but it's not something of note in the airlines.

 

[Silvia]

QF454 MEL-SYD 17 30 service just diverted back to MEL after nearly 2 hours airborne. Headed back after circling around CBR (VH-VYL)

QF496 MEL-SYD 17 45 service diverted to CBR (VH-VYI).

There are also many cancellations SYD bound due to weather conditions.