Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

As at 0855 hours on Friday 22, MEL appears to be down to single runway ops so there's much holding going on, not that the latter is unusual for a Friday morning. 0900 is almost always busy on a Friday.

VH-VZE (B738) on QF407 arrived at 0925, 35 late.

QF411, the 0730 hours SYD - MEL (B738 VH-XZB) was airborne at 0817, about 32 late, and should arrive at 0940, 35 late after holding above Mt Beauty.

By 0921, MEL was again using both runways so hopefully delays ought moderate. Unfortunately Fridays' often tighter rosters means aircraft can find it harder to regain time lost in the morning.

 

[Melburnian1]

At 1005 on Friday 22 February, MEL again was on single runway ops, with QF415, the 0800 hours SYD down to MEL that took off at 0903 (B738 VH-VXQ) likely to arrive at 1030, 55 late.

Delays however are not uniform with some SYD - MEL flights better.

Northbound, QF418, the 0900 hours MEL - SYD was airborne at 1021 (after pushing back at 1002) with B738 VH-VYE. Arrival should be at 1144 hours, 79 late. A tardy arrival of this magnitude may be difficult to recover from on a Friday given it's busier than a Tuesday, and tighter turnarounds with no 'lunchtime break' may apply.

QF420, the 0930 hours on the same route took off at 1032 so while not quite as delayed, it will still be at least 59 late in its expected 1154 hours arrival.

 

[docjames]

QF581 has just had the 330 subbed out for a 737 so there’ll be quite a few travelling on later departures

 

[Hvr]

Waiting for some pax from ADL to board QF23 to BKK.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF581 has just had the 330 subbed out for a 737 so there’ll be quite a few travelling on later departures

Merely for completeness, especially for when the current schedules change, QF581 is the 1125 hours SYD - PER. It would be egregious to suggest "enjoy the B738" so I'll refrain. Oxymoronic!

 

[docjames]

Merely for completeness, especially for when the current schedules change, QF581 is the 1125 hours SYD - PER. It would be egregious to suggest "enjoy the B738" so I'll refrain. Oxymoronic!

There’s currently a 330 being towed across from T3 to T1 so one wonders if another 330 that was meant to do a “mid-haul” route is out of action hence the aircraft sub.

 

[Melburnian1]

Waiting for some pax from ADL to board QF23 to BKK.

I'm surprised that you aren't also waiting for some ex MEL given the late running this morning.

An AFFer reminded us some months ago that connecting passengers travelling to SYD were among the many causes of QF's classic morning flights to Asian ports being delayed, so thank you Hvr, very timely to reinforce this.

QF has not adjusted the 1030 hours timetabled departure of QF23 to reflect this delay.

 

[docjames]

There’s currently a 330 being towed across from T3 to T1 so one wonders if another 330 that was meant to do a “mid-haul” route is out of action hence the aircraft sub.

Now parked at the freight terminal seemingly being serviced.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF81, the 1130 hours SYD - SIN is expected to depart an hour late on 22 February. This should be an A332.

The 0920 hours BNE - NRT QF61 has a pretty good punctuality record but today it is predicted to join QF81 in pushing back an hour late, though from different major Oz cities.

The 1110 hours SYD to LAX, QF11 will be half an hour late departing. QF93 (MEL - LAX) is predicted to depart 50 late at 1145 hours. QF15 is predicted to be on time, and the other two may make up time given favourable winds, so QF11 (LAX across to JFK) may remain punctual.

 

[docjames]

U

QF81, the 1130 hours SYD - SIN is expected to depart an hour late on 22 February. This should be an A332.

I wonder if this was the aircraft that was subbed out of SYD-PER (QF581)?

 

[Melburnian1]

...I wonder if this was the aircraft that was subbed out of SYD-PER (QF581)?

Possible, but I looked at the gate numbers and that did not assist in solving. Not as if QFi can suddenly substitute a B738 for a rostered A332/A333, so if one of the latter fails and it had been planned to operate an international flight, it may be domestic medium haul (SYD, MEL or BNE - PER) passengers who suffer.

milehighclub may have more detailed information in her Sherlock Holmes garb.

 

[docjames]

Perhaps not, there’s another 330 at gate and the towed one still parked at the freight terminal

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 22 February 2019, QF414 (B738 VH-VYH), the 0800 hours peak period MEL - SYD did not become airborne until 1138 hours. Arrival should be at 1254 this afternoon, a shocking 209 minutes late. This plane had arrived in MEL at 0729, six minutes early on QF804, the early morning flight from CBR so not sure what went wrong, as while there are delays on the MEL - SYD route, they're not as bad as 3.5 hours.

The B744 on QF63 departed SYD at 1219 hours, 44 late with arrival forecast for 1705, half an hour late.

QF107, the 1335 hours SYD - PEK was showing as a 20 minute predicted delay but this has risen to 25.

 

[Peter78]

Qantas at Brisbane are actively putting people on earlier flights due to expected weather (most likely wind gusts) later today. In my case, I could go from a 4.05pm (QF545) departure to 2.35pm (QF539).

 

[Melburnian1]

Qantas at Brisbane are actively putting people on earlier flights due to expected weather (most likely wind gusts) later today. In my case, I could go from a 4.05pm (QF545) departure to 2.35pm (QF539).

As at 1410 AEST, winds at BNE were 30kmh gusting to 35, but at OOL, they were far stronger at (respectively) 50 and 69kmh.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF81 on 22 February ended up pushing back in SYD 72 minutes tardy at 1242 hours with SIN arrival estimated as 1754, 69 late.

Up in BNE, QF61 departed atv 1046 (86 late) so it ought be at its destination, NRT, gate at 1910 hours this evening, 100 minutes late. The NRT - MEL QF80 is predicted to push back at 2025 hours, 65 late with a 55 minute behind time arrival in MEL on Saturday 23 at 0855 hours.

Long haul B744 continued its mostly unpunctual record of late with departure at 1219 hours, 44 late with JNB at gate arrival suggested as 1720 hours, 45 late. This will slighly put back the departure of the redeye QF64.

'The 107' departed SYD at 1422 (47 late). PEK arrival has been put back to 2250 local time, 35 late.

QF117 (1550 hours mid afternoon SYD - HKG) should depart half an hour late.

 

[docjames]

QF7 got away on time despite the QF12 being significantly late into SYD (there’s a solid time buffer between the two fortunately).

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Friday 22 February, QF538 (VH-VXK, the 1530 hours SYD north to BNE in the sky at 1645) looks to be at its destination gate at approximately 1657. 57 late.

The BNE across and down to ADL QF663 (also a B738, VH-VYG) should arrive at 1758, 53 late.

QF37, the 1715 hours MEL - SIN was not showing as likely to be delayed but did not depart until 1844 this evening. Arrival should be at 2315 late tonight Singapore ime, an hour late, delaying QF38 back overnight down to MEL. Aircraft is A333 VH-QPC. It had arrived in Melbourne six minutes early at 1409 this afternoon on QF154 from AKL, so no obvious reason for the delay to the Singapore flight.

With QF38 ex SIN to be delayed (as QF37 today was ex MEL), it's likely that a QFi flight ex MEL will be tardy tomorrow morning.

 

[Hvr]

I'm surprised that you aren't also waiting for some ex MEL given the late running this morning.

We made up a bit of time and weren't too late into BKK. The 0630 MEL-SYD flight was cancelled so that would've also caused some issues. I always insist on taking the 0600 flight for obvious reasons.

 

[Melburnian1]

We made up a bit of time and weren't too late into BKK. The 0630 MEL-SYD flight was cancelled so that would've also caused some issues. I always insist on taking the 0600 flight for obvious reasons.

Having had to rush once for a QFi connection in SYD when a flight from MEL was almost an hour late, I don't wish to do it again. We made it but perceived that we wouldn't, because one never knows how fast security will be. Very sensible Hvr!

Due to the delayed QF61 ex BNE, the NRT - MEL QF80 departed 76 late at 2036 hours on Friday 22 February with Saturday 23 arrival estimated at 0919 hours, 79 late.